


Red Sonja - "The sap of God"

by TheAmphioxus



Category: Red Sonja (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Monsters, Multi, Other, Rape/Non-con Elements, Shotacon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:13:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 52,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAmphioxus/pseuds/TheAmphioxus
Summary: A pulpy, Lovecraftian-influenced adventure.Aided by a "young" cambion, Red Sonja goes up against a nefarious, monstrous enemy, hiding a terrible goal!
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

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-TheAmphioxus.

About this Story:  
This was a commissioned piece. 

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

PROLOGUE

The strange looking man smiled widely. He could scarcely believe his luck as he stared wide eyed! He'd awoken startled by the sound of clashing swords piercing through the air, surprised to have been hearing them again so soon. Swiftly, he rushed through the dense vegetation towards the only possible source of such noises; an encampment made by local criminals. All the way, his insides clenched with the hope that, this time around, he would at long last find one such as he had been so long, and so desperately searching.

Down in the clearing among the trees, the figure of a sword-wielding, scantily clad, red-haired female warrior was illuminated by the campfire in the bandits' settlement. From a distance she stood out, even through the thick brushes her tall frame gleamed. "Magnificent!" The small man thought, crouching behind a fallen tree, as to witness the imminent spectacle. The warrior woman's beauty could rival that of a Goddess! Her body sinewy as only that of an experienced fighter could be, and yet she was of ample bosom, thin of waist and wide of hips. Her face showcased a grin, akin to that of some hellish seductress, framed by the flowing locks from a mass of striking, wavy red. At the sight of her, the odd little man began to sweat, his hand involuntarily reaching for the locket around his neck; a symbol of his deity. He began to pray towards the female's triumph and well-being whilst he nervously watched the battle unfold.

...

"You'll pay for this!" The bandit leader, a huge man covered by many layers of leather, declared when he saw the woman disembowel one of his best henchmen with ease, all within two quick moves.

"Funny you should say that." Red Sonja sneered, watching the big man reach for his sword. "Considering I'm the one actually getting paid for this." She grinned again, wiping the blood from her blade on the fallen foe's attire, as a last insult towards the vanquished.

"You whore!"

"Oh, that's another original one. I should start charging extra for every time I hear one of those lines." She said, quickly dispatching another one of the brigands who'd been foolish enough to charge at her. "Just once, I'd like to see one of your ilk shut up and come quietly for a change. Now that would be worth some pay!" Sonja said, mockingly.

Eyes fixed on the woman, the large man raised his arm, holding up an enormous two-handed blade with a single hand! Pointing it at the female, he looked around, scanning the frightened expressions of his remaining men. Most of them had grown too fearful to face that red warrior who'd already killed several of them. Maybe they were wise to fear her; but he stood above them all, and the time had come to show it. "She's mine!" He declared.

"Yeah, there's another one I never heard before. Look, can we just cut the talking and get to me thrashing you already? I really feel like having a drink, so the sooner we're done here..."

"Quiet, wench!" The big man shouted. The female's confidence was unsettling, as was her great skill evident. Like many, he'd heard stories of one fearful red she-devil, but surely those were just tales. Whatever the case, he realized his status as a leader was in question, and he had to put an end to this! She may have taken out many of his minions, but he could have done the same just as easily. No doubt the redhead was no match for him. After all, she was only a woman, and those men he lost would be easily replaced. All he needed do, was to make an example of her in front of those who remained!

Red Sonja was taken aback by the hulking man's power when she parried his first blow. "Damn!" She thought, after being thrown a dozen feet back and having to struggle to keep her balance. "He's a lot stronger than I imagined! No wonder he's the boss around here."

The large bandit grinned. "Surprised whore? Worried, are you?"

"A little. See, if I don't bring you in alive, I don't get paid quite as much." Sonja sneered.

Enraged, the brigand lord lunged at the woman, reacting to her continuous taunting. She dodged as best she could, figuring that engaging in the effort of parrying or blocking his blows was obviously not a good idea. Though she proved much faster than he, the man was capable enough to keep up on the offensive. She ducked and repositioned herself, attempting to use the environment to her advantage, always looking for an opening, or better yet, trying to create one.

It took a while, but the brigand finally fell for one of the warrior-woman's tricks! He attempted a big frontal swipe when she feinted a charge forward. Taking the chance, in a swift move, the she-devil ducked under the blow and thrust the tip of her blade straight towards his belly! To her surprise though, Red Sonja was swiftly met with a smack to the face delivered by the man's unarmed hand, soon followed by the sound of his laughter. Still, she managed to avoid most of the strike's force, falling back and regaining her footing quickly, albeit awkwardly.

"Hah!" The big man mocked. "I can't just use a two-handed sword with one arm, you stupid whore! Being my size, I can also wear far more armor unhindered! You can't hurt me!" He boasted, rubbing his stomach where the woman's attack had harmlessly landed.

It was true! Precise as Sonja was, the man was wearing at least three layers of boiled leather over a gambeson. Her strike had barely scratched his skin if it had even reached it at all! Not only that, but it seems he had taken the effort to develop a fighting style around the way he armored himself. She realized that her first instinct, that of going for his face, was exactly what he expected, and to do it would be a foolish endeavor, ultimately playing to his strengths. His body was truly impervious, almost wherever she could aim! Almost…

The redhead grinned as the thought came to her. If this worked, it would be just perfect! She could even collect the full bounty! Moving around the large man, she teased him to strike her again and again, sharp-eyed, ever waiting for the perfect opportunity. This gambit of hers would require uncommon accuracy, even by her standards. One swing after another missed the target, but the woman held her blade back, always at the ready for when the right moment showcased itself.

As Sonja had hoped, the man grew overconfident, assuming her defensive approach to be but a harbinger of her defeat. Gradually, his blows too grew more open, more careless. "Now!" She thought, when she saw the chance she had been keenly anticipating. Her sword moved in a blur!

"Ahh! Arrgggh! Arg!" The massive bandit fell to his knees screaming, clutching his wrist as his weapon fell to the floor, along with the severed thumb which once held it!

"Can't wear multiple layers on your fingers! No matter how big you are!" Red Sonja beamed victorious, immediately following the statement with a blow to the big man's face, using the largest rock she could reach for before he could think, much less act, on trying to defend himself.

It took multiple hits to get bandit leader unconscious. In the meantime, the remainder of his followers desperately scattered and fled. The red-haired woman paid them no mind. Individually they were no threat, and would prove easy for local authorities to apprehend if any happened to be stupid enough as to linger around.

Red Sonja stood, cleaning her blade again, taking a large breath of the cold forest air in relief. Her job here had been slightly harder than she'd imagined, but it was finally done! Now she only looked around, calmly searching for her mount, as it carried the ropes needed in order to subdue her prey; her thoughts already drifting, in eager expectation for that drink she had mentioned, and the ones that would surely follow. 

...

For minutes the strange looking man shook ecstatic while he watched unblinkingly the triumphant red-haired woman bind her colossal foe's unconscious body, then as she left in a slow pace atop her horse, dragging that limp mass through the floor behind them. Only when the warrior finally disappeared completely into the path among the trees, following the only road that passed through these woods, did the little man at last, slowly, allow himself to stand. "She's perfect!" He smiled, squeezing his locket.

*********

"It's all there. Just as promised." The portly village prefect chirped, handing Red Sonja a bag of coins, his eyes wide and set on the subdued bandit.

"Wait! No!" The big man shouted whilst being dragged away. "You don't understand! I was set up! I was paid! I was paid to…" His protests were swiftly muffled by blows from the guards who pulled him, at the slightest nod from the Mayor.

"Heh!" The fat politician scorned. "Always like that with those guilty types. We have trials, but they always end up hanging." He smiled. "I cannot thank you enough! His group had been terrorizing us for months now. Of course, we tried hiring mercenaries before, but nobody managed to…"

"No offense, mister Mayor." Sonja interjected, dropping any pretense of interest in anything the man might have to say. "I'm quite tired, and in dire need of a drink; so if it doesn't come with a side of ale, I don't particularly care about it right now."

"Oh… Hum… Of course! Forgive me. Yes, the closest tavern is right that way." The man said, pointing down the muddy path which ran through the middle of this town, nigh dividing it in perfect halves. "Can't miss it. Everything you have is on the house, of course. You can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you. But I'll just spend the night. Tomorrow I leave."

"That's a shame. Well, if you ever need a place to settle down, you're always welcome here." The man added, only the beautiful warrior had already turned her back on him.

Nearly an hour later, the redheaded belle found herself in a dark corner within the local lodge. Having successfully evaded most prying eyes, she found comfort away from the coldness of the night between wrapping herself with a thick cloak, and consuming the strongest beverage available.

Time passed quietly, and at some point, Red Sonja felt she'd become sufficiently inebriated; she was just about to stand and climb the stairs towards the room she rented, when suddenly, a small man approached, boldly taking a seat at her table, directly ahead of her. "Sorry, friend." She spoke. "I'm off to bed." She explained, looking at him up and down. "Alone." She added.

"Wait!" The little man said, leaning forward.

When the light hit his face, Sonja remarked at how odd the man looked. She couldn't quite put it into words; it was as if all the right parts were there and yet he was… Put together wrong, somehow. "I'm sorry, but I really need some sleep…" She stated, still bizarrely fascinated by his countenance.

Confidently, the strange looking man replied by throwing a hefty purse full of gold and jewelry onto the table. "Here. For your time."

Sonja halted for a second, more out of surprise than anything else. "What…"

"Listen, please!" The man begged, looking up at her. "My village… Many villages around too! We need your help!"

"No, you listen. I'm not…"

"Please! We have none to turn to, and we need a warrior as formidable as yourself! We're being attacked by monsters and…"

Raising a hand, Sonja interrupted the odd little man's tale, looking back and forth between his distressed face, and the enticing bag on the table. The man did look desperate, she considered, as did his offer seem exceptional, she could not help remarking. "Fine. Alright." She sighed begrudgingly, reluctantly retaking her seat, then less reluctantly pulling the purse her way. "Go on then. I'm listening."

...

END OF PROLOGUE.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 1.


	2. Part 1 - "Here there be monsters"

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

PART 1 - "HERE THERE BE MONSTERS"

01 - "ADVENT"

"Here." The small man said as he handed the woman a sausage, his visage illuminated by the fire amid the dark of night.

"Thank you." Red Sonja replied, still struggling to not stare, trying in vain to pinpoint whatever it was that made this man look so odd and unsettling, beyond mere conventional ugliness, that is.

"Tomorrow, we arrive at last!" The man said, speaking with unrestrained excitement, tasting the last of his rations with gusto.

Two weeks now, the mismatched pair rode towards their destination; some large, albeit isolated valley, said to be home to a dozen or so small villages. Once upon a time, the place had been a mercantile center, but now it only existed as a forsaken land whose entrance lay hidden behind marshes and whose commercial importance had long since been replaced and forgotten. The story went, according to the strange looking man, that inhabitants within this dale had been experiencing a type of ongoing siege for years now. Monsters of unknown origin had been capturing and killing the local villagers, as well as doing the same to those who came into the marshes, or close to them. Many times had the people tried asking for outside help; the man recounted, only whenever someone would answer their calls, they ultimately failed to live up to the task. This latter part at least was not a tale uncommon to Red Sonja's ears. Often times she would take on labors many before her had faltered at, only to come out victorious. As such, it had not been strange that Yudel, as the odd little man had named himself, came to her for aid. What bothered her, however, was how little information she'd managed to get out of him, even through all of the days they rode together.

There was scarcely little of either substance or use Yudel could say about those so-called monsters. No matter how helpful he tried to be in answering any inquiries; to Sonja, it still felt as if she was delving into this affair nigh-blindly, and such was a sensation that certainly did not sit well in her gut. Even so, it would hardly be the first time she dove into the unknown; or so the redhead kept telling herself, for however much that fact could do to assure her.

"Don't you think we can get ambushed crossing the swamp?" Sonja asked, breaking the silence with an out-loud thought, upon finishing her meal.

"Possible, but unlikely." Yudel replied, scratching his chin. "The creatures are more nocturnal than anything else. If we make sure to cross the quagmire in the morning, by the time night falls again, we'll be well within the walls of the main village."

"I imagine from there on I am to take over then?" Sonja spoke, stretching a blanket over the stony floor.

"I don't know. You're the expert." Yudel shrugged, noting on his evident lack of combat experience. "Everyone there will be happy to help you, if need be, myself included. Of that, I can assure you. I'm sorry I could not be more informative, but you'll get better explanations from more knowledgeable people when we arrive."

"At least there's that." Sonja sighed. "Get to sleep then. We'll be leaving at first light; make sure we reach the swamp as early as possible. If you're not rested by then, though luck!"

*********

Morning shine came more swiftly than expected. Luckily, the subsequent aurora ride went by with similar celerity; what little food still left being consumed on horseback. As planned, Red Sonja and her traveling companion managed to reach the valley's entrance still early in the forenoon.

When first facing the marshes, the warrior woman and the small man looked at one another for a moment. Nodding without a word, in acknowledgment of the danger they could be in upon, they silently crossed the threshold, ever looking ahead, ever riding forward.

The passage through the wetlands transpired, if surprisingly, in welcome uneventful fashion. For hours the female had kept a steady hand around the handle of her sword. Only, much to her relief, that measure ultimately proved to be an unnecessary wariness.

The swamp was strangely pleasant smelling, just as it was eerie and uninviting. The scent of flowers contrasted with the waters which looked almost black at first glance. Trees and stones alike were covered in moss, and the light of the sun would only ever shine through the ceiling of vegetation as a multitude of well-defined beams, hitting the floor, piercing and illuminating the faint fog which lingered afloat in the air, lending the area an almost unholy, temple-like quality.

This bog was not where she would want to fight anyone or anything, but the surroundings did hold a type of wild beauty, Sonja had to admit. It was only after leaving the swamp and threading into ordinary forest terrain, however, that one last, disturbing detail became apparent to the woman; once she heard the first bird singing, she realized just how unnaturally, oppressively silent that crossing of the mire had truly been. Quietly, with the single-minded focus of reaching their destination, Yudel and her rode northward for a few more hours still.

The valley proved impressively vast. Though the duo crossed many streams, the overall terrain was such that the horses were capable of maintaining a fast and steady pace, covering large expanses of terrain in short amounts of time. Whenever they passed through a clearing, Sonja could see towering green mountain peaks surrounding the place from every direction, safe the one from which she and the small man had just come.

Quite a few times did the red-haired woman spot some man-made constructions in the distance, from between the tree trunks. Her first impulse was always to turn towards those; only Yudel would prevent her, stating that these were only smaller villages, and the two of them were aiming for the largest one, located against the northmost wall of the dale. A place they needed to make sure and reach before visiting any of the others, for the sake of safety and information alike. Deciding to follow the man's guidance, Sonja complied without protest. A while later, the travelling duo finally approached their destination. Even from afar, it was immediately apparent, the difference between this place they headed for, and those others observed not long prior.

Tall stone walls stood against the mountain, surrounding a small town, and that wall itself was further circled by a watery moat. A short path, cut between tiny farmlands, lead towards the bridge, then through the impressive, thick wooden gates, and into the shielded settlement. Inside, past the entrance, the buildings and indeed the village itself were very clearly old though well cared for, with a quaint, pleasant character to them.

Those stone walls must have been doing their job well if this place was indeed under attack, Red Sonja considered. Only one thing looked out of place here, not unlike a blight on an otherwise perfectly green leaf. A structure close to the rocky mountain, one which would certainly have been the largest in town were it still standing, was little more than a burnt pile of rubble. Oddly enough, however, even the houses around it appeared untouched by the fire which had assuredly consumed the place.

Yudel waved, indicating for Sonja to follow, shifting her thoughts away from the derelict construction. The two rode towards a central square, slowly but surely drawing the attention of the locals.

As villagers began to come out of their houses and stop their chores to stare, something else peculiar quickly caught the red-haired warrior's eye. The people here, all of them it seemed, shared that same unusual look as the man who had fetched her. They were small of stature and somehow strange to behold, though again she could not precisely express what it was about them that created such an effect. For a few moments more, Sonja rode until finally halting. Just before she did, one last thing drew her attention. From behind a building's corner, a boy watched her attentively as she passed. They met each other's gaze, but he instantly looked away. She, however, did not. The boy was a stark contrast to the other locals. Not only did he lack that strange, unsettling look, to the contrary, he also appeared to be unusually comely. His unkempt hair was unbelievably dark, to the point it almost made everything around it seem brighter, in opposition to the fair shade of brown atop everyone else's heads here. His skin, on the other hand, was far paler than the rest. Sonja also remarked at how, in spite of being visibly clean, he dressed in ragged, rather colorless clothing, unlike the colorful, notably well-maintained attires of those about him.

"Here we are!" Yudel announced, his voice once again breaking the warrior-woman out of her musings. Already dismounted, he held the reins of her horse so that she could climb down as well.

A crowd gathered whilst Red Sonja got off her mount. She awkwardly looked around for a place to tie the animal, when she heard one of the locals whistle. "Don't worry Miss. We'll take it to the stables." Someone said.

To her surprise, she saw the boy she'd been staring at walking up to her. He had the distinct body language of one who had been a servant most, if not all of his young life. Meekly, he took the reins from her hand, shyly allowing himself to look up at her. She smiled at him. He looked both more seemly and stranger than she had predicted. His features were nothing short of angelic; there was a faint shimmer of blue to his pale skin, and his eyes were of a near-orange shade of amber. A second later, he looked down once more, silently taking the horses away.

"Over here!" Yudel touched Sonja's arm. Walking and directing her through the crowd, across the streets, and a minute later, into a large house.

"Welcome!" A bearded man spoke, startling the female, closing the door as soon as she stepped inside, locking the commotion of the village outside, trading it for the awkward silence of the wooden room. Shameless, he ogled at the warrior-woman up and down, as if trying to determine if she was up for the task at hand.

Sonja soon enough realized this wasn't the only person doing so. Between Yudel and the bearded man, three others occupied the hall, and all took her measure. "Hello." She uttered, firmly.

"Forgive our manners." The bearded man spoke again. "It is not usual for one so… Formidable such as you to visit our little valley. I am called Kohen, and I am the local magistrate. These three are Abiel, Abimael and Abimelech, the village elders." He pointed at a trio of particularly strange looking old men.

"Save your compliments for when the job's done, Kohen!" Red Sonja replied bitterly, unhappy with the manner she was gawked at by the magistrate and the other three shriveled figures.

"Ha! Direct eh? I like it! Well then, to business. I'm sure my good man Yudel has spoken to you about payment."

"Of compensation, he has. Little else though."

"Well…"

"If you want me to do something here, I need information. So far I know very little of these creatures who are supposedly attacking you, and I've yet to see any!"

"That's the problem. We understand very little about them ourselves. They attack mostly at night. They kill our men when they have the chance and… I'm sure you've noticed the lack of women around."

Sonja was ashamed to realize she hadn't. She assumed most women had been presently occupied during her arrival, but now that the bearded man mentioned it… "I… What of the women?"

"They're taken."

"Taken? Where to?" She inquired, deciding it best not to ask what for.

"We don't know." 

"Where do the creatures come from? Where do they hide? Where do they spend the daytime?"

"We don't know." Kohen reiterated, meekly touching his beard.

"Sigh… You have to give me something to work with here. I'm no seer, you know. So, can you at least tell me what do they look like and what are their capabilities?"

"Has Yudel not explained…"

"He said they were ugly and savage. Not much beyond that."

"Well…" Kohen rubbed his beard again. "That's not far off from what we can tell you, really. The creatures are humanoid, with wild features. They use crude weapons, but don't seem to be sophisticated thinkers. Each of them is stronger than a man. That's the best we can say right now."

"Hum… I have to ask. Why not just move from here?"

"Many of us have loved ones who were taken and refuse to leave without knowing of their fate, or extracting vengeance if need be. Also, this is our homeland. Should we not fight for it? Out there, we have nothing."

"Fair enough." Sonja brushed the red hair from her face, considering the next useful inquiry. "Does that burnt building back there…"

The elders, who so far stood silent, cleared their throats.

"Yes… An attack…" The magistrate began to speak.

"Sire…" Yudel interjected. "If I may, I need to settle some personal affairs, but afterward, I'd like to do my best to help our champion." He pointed at the female fighter. "I have tracking skills. Perhaps I can be useful in gathering information, find out how best to fight the beasts."

"That might actually be useful." Sonja replied. "Whatever we can do to have as many elements under our control before we engage an enemy is possibly critical."

"I'll also gather our best men and…" Yudel continued.

"No." Sonja interjected. "You say they come out at night." The men nodded affirmatively. "So we go out during the day for reconnaissance. We gather what information we can before designing any attack plans."

"Good." Kohen smiled, stroking his beard again. "That sounds like the beginnings of a plan already! How long before you can help her, Yudel?"

"I just need to visit a couple of the other villages, but we can leave as soon as the day after tomorrow, in the morning."

"Sounds good!" The prefect clasped his hands together. "I've arranged for you to have the best accommodations in our best inn." He told the woman. "Just a few buildings down the road. Help yourself to any food or service we can provide. It's on me. In a couple of days time, we get to work!" Kohen straightened his jacket. "Now, I must tend to my duties, but if you need anything, simply call on me, or one of the elders. We'll be glad to help." He pointed at the trio of old men, whose expressions indicated otherwise.

Red Sonja nodded, stepping towards the exit, as the magistrate moved towards the other direction. She tried and failed to not gaze one last time at the shriveled old men who'd only examined her in silence. "Sure ain't callin' any one of those if I need anything." She thought, walking out.

02 - "OMEN"

Sonja walked around the town for a few minutes searching for the stables, pondering what possible strategies could be useful for fighting creatures about which she knew so little. Her meeting with the local authority figures had been brief, but enough for the buzz of her arrival to subside after she left the magistrate's house. Many of the people still ogled ceaselessly though, but they were polite enough to keep to themselves. All the same, she refrained from asking directions, and it was a relief to enter the isolated, apparently empty building when she finally found it.

The day had flown by. Winter approached, afternoon was soon turning into evening, and so Sonja watched from the wooden barn's window as the town gates closed for the night. When she went to find her mount, looking to take her belongings to the inn, she was amused to find that someone was tending to the horse.

"Hello, there." She greeted the pale-skinned boy, who twitched nervously, looking up at her in awe.

Sonja smiled. Men of all ages, and indeed often women, gawked at her with lust, but there was always something flattering to the gaze of the young like this, as if she was some otherworldly, divine creature. "My name is Sonja. What's yours?" She placed a hand on her waist, prompting her cloak to open slightly, intentionally, though playfully teasing with a glimpse of her well sculpted midriff.

"I'm Eren." The boy spoke, trying to pretend not to stare, with little success.

Looking at the young man was like a breath of fresh air, in contrast to the other townsfolk. Sonja wondered from whence he came. "Do you work…"

"Miss, you have to leave here!" Eren interrupted the redhead, lowering his voice to a whisper, looking up at her once more. "You're in danger!"

"Heh!" Sonja laughed, surprised by his outburst. "You don't have to worry about me. I do this for a living, you know?"

"You don't understand…" Eren began, only to halt at the sounds of footsteps just outside. "There were others who… Please go! Before…" His eyes darted around, and he began to retreat, twitching nervously.

Sonja too looked sideways briefly at the source of the steps. When she turned back, the boy had taken his distance from her, nimbly ducking under planks, then slipping out through a wooden door.

"At least someone here has my back." Red Sonja beamed.

*********

The following day was a welcome respite. Red Sonja tried to talk to the locals, see if their tales of the creatures could provide with any new angle. Alas, the effort proved fruitless and all stories repetitive. She walked around the village, seeing what was there to be seen. The place was in fact very charming and agreeable. If only it's population wasn't so disconcerting to behold, this would be a great town to spend time resting. "Provided it's made free of monsters, that is." She mused to herself. At every turn, she would spot from the corners of her sight, the boy Eren staring at her, a pleasant air of worry and protectionism to his gaze. It seemed as if he was some type of local groundskeeper, doing whatever work was demanded of him by any of the other villagers. It was easy to gather he had no parents as well. Likely those had been lost to the creatures, which is why he was so apprehensive about her facing the beasts. Something else became apparent while watching the boy. The magistrate Kohen had spoken of missing women, but he neglected to mention another thing that was amiss. It was clear that this comely, pale boy was currently the sole person not yet of age still left around. "Perhaps the other villages are being used to house the young and the remaining women. I didn't get the chance to visit them yet, after all." She thought. "Maybe they're hiding the other pretty people too." She added, amusing herself with another glance at the boy, unable to get past just how different he looked from everyone else here.

Night had come again after another short, unexciting day. Sonja readied herself for the coming morning when she might actually have to fight once more. Earlier, she had requested for the brass tub in her room to be filled with hot water, and now she bathed before going to sleep. "I'm making this a nightly thing for as long as I stay here!" She exclaimed, soaping herself. "They can bill the magistrate for the heating." She grinned, washing her hair. A long while later, just as the bath started to get cold, there was a knock at the door. "Finally! More hot water." Sonja though. "Come in!" She called. When the door opened, she smiled widely, pleasantly surprised at the sight of the pale boy, who struggled to drag a large brass amphora full of scalding liquid into the room. "Hello there, again."

"Hi." Eren answered, almost inaudibly, not daring to look at the woman.

Sonja had to admire the boy's tenacity. No doubt he had taken up the job of bringing the hotel's only guest the bath water with the intent of taking a peek at her. Alas, the fluid she was in had already turned milk-white due to all the soap. "Want some help?" She teased him playfully, threatening to stand.

The boy's face grew red. "Hum… No… I…"

"Alright then, just leave it here beside the tub."

"Miss… Please, you have to run away! The monsters, you can't fight…"

Sonja lifted an arm out of the water and rubbed his hair. "My brave guardian!" The gesture had initially been meant as another tease, thinking his protective attitude was some sort of tactic to gain her favor, but his eyes shone with absolute sincerity. He appeared to be genuine in his concern for her, so much so, she immediately regretted provoking him.

"Where's the boy?!" A voice screamed from the hall beyond the half-open doorway. Eren stiffened. Seconds later the voice shouted again, this time from right behind the door. "You in here? Eren?" Clockwork-like, the boy turned to leave, only to be stopped by the redheaded woman, who grabbed his hand. 

"He'll be out in a second." Sonja shouted. "He's just delivering the hot water." Lowering her voice, she then addressed the boy directly. "Would you mind pouring some in the tub before you go?"

"I…" Eren nodded, struggling with the weight of the vessel as he picked it up.

The warrior-woman figured the boy had earned a little reward for his efforts and honesty both. "I'll tell you when." She said, pretending to close her eyes, keeping them open just enough so she could watch his reaction. Slowly she leaned back, a calculated motion, only enough so her nipples would poke out of the milky surface of the water. Sonja suppressed a smirk when Eren's eyes widened. He began pouring from the amphora and now she watched him gaze as the white opaqueness in the tub was slowly diluted by the added crystalline, slowly revealing the contents of the basin. "I think that's quite enough." Sonja said, grinning. "Thank you."

Eren made to place the vessel, which was now much lighter, on the ground right beside the tub. When his face approached the woman's ear, he leaned closer and whispered. "I have your horse ready. Take it and go! Don't let anyone see you!"

Sonja turned to look at the boy, once again seeing he spoke with absolute, pure sincerity. He nodded at her one last time then he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

03 - "YUDEL!"

From between green mountain peaks, the sun shone on the valley. The warrior-woman's eyes moved around back and forth hopelessly. She searched for the black haired boy, hoping she could meet him before leaving town. She had to explain that he needed not worry, and tell him why she had not heeded his warnings. Only he was nowhere to be found.

"Ready?" Yudel inquired, checking on his equipment one last time, strapping it all to both their horses.

"Yeah." Red Sonja replied, still looking around. "Just another minute. How long do you think this is gonna take?"

"Oh, don't worry. The sun has only just come up. We have plenty of time."

"Are we going anywhere specific?"

"Yes, I believe I spotted some manner of trail on my way back here yesterday evening. I thought we could check that out first."

By now, the warrior-woman sourly realized she'd only have a chance to speak with her young friend again upon returning. "Fair enough. Let's get going then!" She sighed. Perhaps it would be better this way; nothing was as likely to put the boy at ease as the sight of her safely returned from an expedition.

*********

The ride that followed was unexpectedly short. Probably an hour or less, before Yudel slowed his horse's strut, looking around for the place about which he had spoken. "Over there!" He pointed to a large rock formation. "It's this way. We have to leave the horses and go on foot over the rocks from here on."

"Is it safe to leave them here?" 

"No choice." He shrugged.

"Fine." Sonja said. She tied the animals to a tree while the man scouted around.

"Come." Yudel spoke, waving a hand. "Look!" He pointed at the ground, showing a pathway full of broken twigs and bruised leaves.

"Hum… Something big went through here alright." Sonja looked around, sword ready in hand. "Let's see where this leads."

The trail ran through thick forest vegetation, which caused it to be easy to follow, right up until it hit a circular clearing. Yudel made to move forward, but the woman stopped him, pulling him back by the cloak with a hand. 

"Wait!" Red Sonja commanded in a whisper.

"What is it?"

"Keep your voice down." She told the little man. "Something's wrong here." She added, in another whisper. "There are too many rocks, and the vegetation is far too thick around this clearing."

"So? It's a forest."

"It's a perfect place for an ambush!"

Yudel sneered dismissively. "Nonsense! The creatures have never displayed this type of cleverness. Besides, it's daytime and how would they even know we'd come here?"

"Perhaps you're right, but we best go back. No need to risk it foolishly like this."

Up until this point, Yudel had always maintained a friendly disposition, but his expression turned bitter with the woman's last statement. "We need you to do this!" He protested in anger.

"I will! But I won't accomplish anything by acting like easy prey." She turned to leave. "Let's go back, now! There will be other trails."

"No!" Yudel screamed. "We move forward!" He added, rushing into the clearing, crossing to the other side. "See? Nothing here! Look!" He pointed at the ground. "The trail even continues on this side. Come on!" He shouted, vanishing into the woods, apparently to follow after whatever he had found.

"Dammit!" Sonja exclaimed furiously. "Stupid little creep!" She moved to follow. Just a few steps into the clearing, however, and her keen reflexes took over, right when she saw the shadow of something incoming from the corner of an eye!

Red Sonja jumped over the bolas, which passed under her, only narrowly missing her legs! Another set came from a different direction, ready to catch her as she landed, but she dug her sword into the ground, stopping the entrapping projectile, as it wrapped around the blade! One more, arriving from behind this time, which she acrobatically ducked under; And finally, a fourth one, which too passed over the redhead, when she dove further, to lay flat against the ground!

In a single, nimble move, the warrior-woman stood again, simultaneously drawing her sword from the ground as well as from between the straps of leather which composed the bolas, while unclasping her cloak, looking around with her guard up! She found herself surrounded by four grotesque-looking creatures who crawled out of the vegetation in a circular formation, no doubt one for each of the hunting weapons she had just avoided!

The beasts had an ugly, dull-brown, leathery skin; small, deep-set dark eyes; flat faces with prognathic, sharp-toothed jaws; pronounced brows, and sloped foreheads covered with shaggy gray hair. Their limbs were thin and long, but their hands and feet were abnormally large, with thick, filthy nails. Were it not for their hunched posture; They would each stand at least as tall as the female fighter they targeted. These creatures also carried makeshift quarterstaffs, and wore nothing but loincloths. That was a disturbingly revealing attire, as if the attempted ambush alone had not been evidence enough of intelligence, the fact that their bodies were covered in arcane symbols painted with some type of blue ink, as well as ritual scarifications, made any question of the presence of at least somewhat sophisticated minds moot! Without warning, the four abominations charged at the woman, leaving her little room to escape!

With precision, Red Sonja kicked a stone towards the visage of the creature who was furthest, then she charged directly at the one who was closest! The nearby beast thwacked at her in a predictable pattern! Ducking under the blow, she sidestepped, pulling a dagger from her boot and disemboweling the monster with a horizontal swipe, then rolling forward past its body, standing and turning to face the other three. These ugly humanoids proved faster than expected! One of them was already leaping, swinging its staff downward at her!

Sonja caught the attack in a cross defense with her sword and dagger, then moved aside, redirecting its force and the staff's tip to the ground! With the creature leaning forward off balance, she held his weapon down with her sword, while quickly moving her left hand to gash the monster's throat with her dagger! To the side, another one of the creatures too was already amid a horizontal swing, aiming for the back of her head!

Sonja managed to stoop under the wooden weapon, causing it to hit the beast who had just had its neck opened square in the face, knocking it back! Out of pure instinct, the she-devil saw and took an opening to exploit, as the monster readied his weapon once more! Letting go of her sword, Sonja lunged, jamming her dagger into the creature's chest with her left hand, then following with a palm blow to the base of the blade's hilt, using her now free right hand to drive the weapon in fully! Unlike the former two, this creature was dead before it hit the floor, after the knife pierced its heart! Killing her third assailant so brashly proved a mistake though! The beast who had previously been struck by a stone managed to catch up to the struggle, landing a powerful blow on her right shoulder, right at the same time as that third monster's body hit the floor!

Sonja jumped back, managing to prevent herself from falling due to the strength of the attack, only her right arm was sure to be effectively crippled for the remainder of this fight! Moreover, her dagger was beyond retrieve, firmly lodged into the beast's sternum; meanwhile, her sword lay on the floor, out of reach!

The final creature standing paused for a second. It looked around at its fallen companions. To the woman's surprise, the monster appeared to smile. Then it charged again, growling, brandishing its staff!

Red Sonja had seen them move; she knew she could not outrun this beast! Moreover, dodging would be pointless without the ability to counterattack; she was both tired and hurt! So embracing her fierce, basest instincts, she took what she saw as the last, best option available. Sonja avoided the forthcoming attack by charging at the creature just as it charged at her, tackling it before it could swing! The monster was both heavier and stronger than her. It barely moved when struck by her weight, but it did let go of its weapon, grabbing at her. She promptly jammed her left thumb into one of its eyes, clasping at a side of its face!

The abomination yelled, but did not release! Instead, it fell forward, slamming the red-haired woman against the stone floor!

Sonja let go of his eye, placing her left forearm under the creature's chin, lifting its grotesque face away from her own! Then, like a rabid animal, she bit at that repulsive, leathery neck!

This time, the creature did let go. The woman, however, did not! Only when it tried to stand did the she-devil release him, rolling to the side, reaching for the hilt of her sword! By the time the creature realized what had just happened, it was already too late; The blade was already mid-swing, quickly embedding itself halfway across its misshapen skull!

Rising to her knees, Red Sonja breathed heavily; spitting blood and rubbing her wounded shoulder. Shaken, she crawled towards the body of the one who had her dagger and began pulling the weapon free. Seconds later, it all went black! She came to the following instant, after a quick blink of darkness! Finding herself on her back, instinctively trying to protect her head as she could, with her one good arm, from the rain of wooden blows! "What?! Who?!" She tried settling her thoughts.

"Stay down woman!" The odd little man screamed, ineptly beating the female with one of the fallen creature's quarterstaff.

"Yudel!" Sonja gritted her teeth hatefully, realizing the little man's betrayal for the first time! But a second realization also came to her. She felt her dagger firm in hand, in a reverse grip! Luckily, she had not let go of the weapon when the man struck her from behind! Instead, she pulled it from its bony prison as she fell on her back! A second later, her one swing was swift and true! In between the small man's strikes, Red Sonja impulsively, angrily, buried the short blade all the way into the side of his head!

...

*********

Just like she feared, the horses were gone! Sonja stumbled through the woods, dizzy and in pain, covered in bruises. She had little reference for orientation and simply moved towards what she gathered to be the general direction of the main village. Why had Yudel betrayed her so? She pondered. He was clearly aligned with the creatures, so why even bring her here then, only to try taking her out in an ambush? "Perhaps he simply wanted to be seen as doing his job. Bringing in protectors, all the while siding with the beasts and partaking in eliminating those he brought…" She considered. With so many unanswered questions, Sonja realized that killing the man might have been a mistake. She'd reacted in blind passion, as much as self-defense, which even if justified, could ultimately prove unwise.

Hours later, Sonja's dizzy musings were blissfully interrupted by the familiar sight of the gray village walls through the trees, just over the horizon. She sighed in relief, thankful to have been wandering towards the right direction after all. "There will be time for pondering later." She thought, hastening her pace, lurching over the way up to the little town.

...

*********

With great difficulty, the female warrior had made her way to the magistrate's house, aided by the very first villagers who'd spotted her limping up the path towards the little farms. Within minutes, she was being looked after with no questions asked, her wounds tended for, as she lay on a bed. Once properly patched up, she was told the prefect would arrive later that day, as to speak with her, before being allowed to rest by herself. Finally letting go of the sense of iminent threat and despair, the redhead allowed herself to sleep for a few hours.

Sonja eventually awoke to the squeaking sound of an opening door, finding the village elders accompanied by Kohen himself, who brought her a much-welcome hot meal. This visit was hardly out of pure worry for her though, since, between each spoonful, she was struck with a barrage of questions over what had happened. Understandingly, she did her best to reply.

"Four of them, you say?" The prefect stated, stroking his beard. "Amazing!" 

"Very good!" The elders added, almost in unison, nodding and looking at one another, just behind the mayor. Marking the first time Sonja heard any of them speak.

While being questioned, Sonja suddenly recalled Eren's warnings. "Maybe this is what he was trying to warn me about." She thought, also considering it best not to mention the boy, realizing there was perhaps much more she did not know here. "I need to find him!" The sounds of Kohen and the elders' voices were muffled behind her thoughts. For the moment, she paid them no more heed. She would do it discreetly, she thought. Find the boy alone, listen to what he had to say, in a way nobody could see it. She made to stand from the bed, but found it tremendously difficult. "I… I need to go now. I'll talk to you some more later. I… I'll go rest and in my room at the inn 'til... I need to go..." She rambled, struggling to stand, as much as she did to craft a coherent sentence.

"Don't trouble yourself." One of the elders spoke. "The drugs are already taking effect."

"What?" They were in on it! Whatever it was! Sonja realized. "You..." She managed to stand firmly for a few seconds, only to be met by amused, malicious looks. Quickly thereafter, she stumbled to the floor, fast losing consciousness.

"It really is a shame Yudel ended up dying." Kohen spoke, brushing his beard again. "The man was one of our best recruiters." He said, looking down at the red-haired woman, almost curiously. "But all things considered, it was a small price to pay for a magnificent specimen such as this!"

...

END OF PART 1.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2.


	3. Part 2 - "Loom"

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

PART 2 - "LOOM"

01 - "STRAIN"

Eren lurked through the forest as furtively as possible. Many times before had he slipped from the encased village unseen, but never had he ventured quite as far into the isolated sections of the woods like this. Darkness of night was near absolute, but the faint moonlight had a way to make his pale skin shine whenever it hit it, considerably hindering his ability to move around unnoticed. He had been warned against taking this risk, but he had to make sure whether the rumors were true or not; and if they were, this would only be the beginning of the many hazardous things he would have to do!

Over the years, Eren had learned many skills in order to survive, not the least of which was how to avoid the many creatures which roamed the forest, both natural and unnatural alike. But right now, he needed all of his senses sharp, and covering his head for the added stealth was not an option. After all, finding the horse tracks was difficult in the dark and time was of the essence. For hours he wandered, masking the sounds of his steps with those made by the beasts in the night, straining his vision to see the marks and broken branches on the ground. At some point, he realized he'd been following a straight path for some time; the trail had been found!

Many times had the boy heard rumors of this clearing somewhere in the middle of the woods. Apparently, it was a favored spot for surprise attacks. He had never tried to find it before though, but upon approaching it, the place was hard to mistake for anything else. The moonlight shone down like a gigantic beam from the sky, illuminating the ground, unimpeded by any leaf or branch, making it almost as easy to see, or be seen, inside it, as if it was daylight. 

Eren hesitated to enter that open area at first. It was plainly obvious why this place was chosen for ambushes; once within, he would be an easy target for whatever lurked around the edges. His mind was quickly swayed, however, just as soon as his eyes spotted the fallen shapes on the ground. Tossing caution to the wind, he ran towards the corpses! "Four of them!" The story was true! The boy thought to himself, examining the slaughtered creatures and the wounds which had caused them to fall. To a side, he spotted yet another body. "Yudel!" He flipped the small man's carcass to examine it. His pockets carried some coins, which Eren pocketed, hiding them in several spots along his ragged attire, but there was little else of use.

This was a bittersweet moment, Eren considered. With rumors of the red-headed woman's formidable feats confirmed, preparation was now paramount! He would have to undertake a daunting task, and though he was no stranger to danger, he had never tried anything close to would need to be done before. "And yet…" He said out loud, taking another long look at the monstrous corpses around him. Unlike any time before, there was some hope here; some light at the end of a dark tunnel! This one was a risk he would gladly take!

... 

*********

"Uhh..."

"There there, my dear. I know you're strong, but there's no need to strain yourself now. There'll be plenty of that later on."

Red Sonja awoke still in a daze, eyes burning, head pounding. It was the little hands though, rubbing and poking all over which made her come to. "Y… You!" She squirmed, only to gain awareness of further discomfort. Her shoulders and wrists ached, while the blurry image of the village prefect appeared and sharpened, oddly lower than even the man's diminutive height should have placed him. She quickly realized she hung suspended by her arms, while against her back, a cold, almost vertical slab of rock provided her the only scant amount of additional support! Still, the ever-moving little hands, that's what bothered her the most.

Kohen smiled up at the grimacing woman, whilst she still struggled to regain consciousness. "What prime creature you are! A shame you killed Yudel, but like I said before, the price was well worth it. Oh, just to think of how much use we can get out of this body." He ran his hand up her thigh. "Besides, if your tale was true, the fool fell victim to his own poor choices, thinking he could fight you." His hand stopped. "Even so, he'll require replacing." He removed his hand, taking a step back to better look at the female, his small yellow teeth showing through the beard. "Maybe you'll even be the one to provide it."

Sonja's sense of anger was momentarily overwhelmed by a swift wave of dread! So far, she unconsciously associated the little hands touching her with the prefect, but when the odd looking, bearded man stepped away from her after she felt his touch leave her thigh, she realized both his extremities were in full view; neither of which reaching for her! She squirmed again, more vigorously this time, trying to devise who was it that rubbed her. It wasn't a pair! No, the hands were in fact manifold! "What's happening here?!" She shook her head, looking around, straining her mind to make sense of whatever information her dulled senses could currently grasp.

A large cave, that's where she was, Red Sonja discerned. The only illumination came from torches along the walls; whether it was day or night outside, there was no indication. A faint chant echoed, bouncing from the stone much as the light from the flames did. These signs all helped in pointing towards the most appalling of realizations; The place was far from empty! Villagers, or people like them, crowded the great rocky hall! To her distress, many were far too close! "Get off!" Sonja twisted and turned screaming, trying to shake away the little hands that groped her. She attempted a kick, only to find that her legs were likewise chained by the ankles, if not as tightly! 

"Calm down." Kohen spoke. "The ointment is only to help make your body more resilient and receptive."

"What are you..." Now Sonja understood, the little hands weren't simply touching her, they applied some kind of oil to her skin; indeed, to her fully disrobed form! "Away you filth!" She snarled. "I'll have all your heads on a pike!"

The bearded man chuckled. "You will grow to appreciate this. The balm also has great healing powers, given regular applications. The process is, after all, very taxing and there's quite the amount of trial and error involved. To see which you're best suited for, I mean."

"Regular applications?" Sonja looked down at her naked body. The shine over her tan, lit by the blaze made her skin look akin to polished bronze. Even her hair atop it glistened like lustrous copper, making her resemble some metallic Goddess' statue come to life. "Process?" She then looked at the misshapen figures who coated her. They all wore little more than loincloths, their small bodies covered in strangely familiar rune-like blue paintings and scars, and an eager mindlessness marred their glassy gaze. Elements of the scene came together, bestowing it all with an obvious, depraved ceremonial nature!

At that moment, the steadfast mind of the experienced warrior took over. By instinct and habit, she was fully aware; the possibility to regain her freedom when the situation was dire always demanded a cool head, combined with strategically relevant knowledge. Red Sonja stopped struggling, acting as if the hands on her no longer existed. She stared directly down at the little bearded man who stood in the center of the room, her eyesight now restored to its full capabilities. "What do you want from me?" She asked defiantly, almost as if daring him to answer.

"I rather not say." Kohen smiled, more broadly than before. "You'll find out soon enough. From my end, it is always amusing to witness that realization taking place."

Within the corner of her eye, while the Mayor spoke those last words, Sonja made the silhouettes of creatures distinctly larger and more misshapen than the village dwellers skulking back and forth around the edges of the cave. In a flash, for the first time since waking, her mind broke away from the current moment, fearfully recalling why the paintings and scars she saw on these people's bodies looked so familiar! With her line of work, the infamous she-devil knew, death or defilement were never all that far away a possibility. Yet a chill ran up her spine as if grasping that this time around, something even more sinister than either might lay in wait for her!

…

*********

"Boy!" The angry call boomed through the stables. "Where is that damn boy?! Boy!"

Eren woke atop the pile of hay, still tired and disoriented. Before he could even stand, a rigid slap hit him behind the head, causing him to lose his balance and fall back, arms raised defensively.

"Third time in two days!" Abiel, one of the village elders, roared. "Three times in two days..." He slapped again and again against the young man's arms. "I catch you sleeping before your chores are done!" What the shriveled man lacked in strength, he made up with in anger. "We allow you to stay… Eat our food..."

"I'm sorry! I'll get to it!" Eren yelled, with his well-practiced tone feigning a combination of pleading and fright, which so reliably brought satisfaction to the ears of those who abused him. Such emotions, however, had secretly long-since given way to anger and resentment within.

Momentarily sated by the terror in the boy's voice and hindered by his own tiredness, Abiel halted his assault. "Go… Now!" The old man pointed towards the exit to the stables, catching his breath with some difficulty.

Eren went on to toil through the day as hard as he could, making sure he was seen performing his regular duties. All the while he chastised himself for having fallen asleep atop the hay once again. He'd entered the stables intent on filling his pockets, but the temptation for laying down for a moment once again proved too much, given how spent he was. The time for rest would have to wait though. He was on a mission, and there was much to be done!

All things considered, time passed uneventfully. The boy worked with little interruption, for as long as the people in the village would watch him, taking the opportunity to do as much as he could in advance, trying to make sure he would not be missed all that soon. Luckily, the days were getting shorter this time of year. When night was about to fall, and the last pair of prying eyes was gone well over an hour prior, the boy retreated back into the stables, or at least, he pretended to do so.

With pockets full, as he'd done before, Eren skulked in the dark towards a hidden corner, where the city walls met with the mountain's rock. Nimbly, he climbed over and out of the village; His small size and weight allowing him to cling to the rocks enough that he could move past the moat.

During the daytime, Eren would sneak and creep around, making excuses to work wherever he could listen to, or acquire any vital piece of information. The mountains around the valley all contained a multitude of caverns, very few of which were known to him, and if he was to rescue the red-headed warrior, he needed to find out precisely where she was being kept. Nights, on the other hand, held their own set of extra activities for him, albeit all with the same goal in mind.

The valley was large and enemies were potentially everywhere. Wherever and whenever the boy would find the female fighter, he would require a swift and well-planned escape, if they were both to ever reach safety. To that end, guidance was paramount! Starting at the base of each mountain, using the hay collected in his pockets, Eren would create small signals all around the forest. Tiny stacks, unnatural to the environment, yet inconspicuous enough that anyone not specifically looking for something would likely notice. This craft was used in combination with a number of other signifiers built using elements of the surroundings itself. Piles of rock, broken branches, carvings, pieces of moss torn and moved, particular marks on certain tree types, and so on; all used to create an intricate pattern none other than it's creator would be capable of reading properly. The purpose of his design was twofold; first, to provide him with directions across a valley too big for him to truly know. But also, to create misdirection to anyone attempting to follow his clues, once those actually looking for something would inevitably come to perceive the recurring incongruent elements spread around the natural environment. It wasn't the first time the pale boy had used such methods to guide himself around the woods. He'd done so undetected for years in fact. Only, he never imagined, much less attempted, expanding his methods to such a scale.

Eren's nightly excursions held an occasional added benefit though. Whenever he happened upon a trail or track, he would follow and mark it properly, gaining further knowledge of the area and of where some of the caves were, or might be, located. At this point, every new bit of information counted, as it could only bring him one step closer to finding the mighty red-haired woman! Albeit even that idea held its measure of dread, because he knew, finding her would be only half the task.

...

*********

"I won't cry! Won't beg! You scum don't get the satisfaction!" Sonja gritted her teeth, holding on to anger in anticipation of what was obviously to come.

Approaching slowly, the grotesque creature grinned, ogling the redhead's oiled body with lust. Its large erection bobbing from side to side for each step taken, a gathered drop of precum already adorning its tip!

"Let's see what you're made of red." The little man who evidently served as a warden to these dungeons teased, smiling with sadistic glee.

Sonja had hated that man from the first moment she saw him; so much like Yudel did he look. With his beady eyes watching, it was as if the traitor himself mocked her from the grave. "You wait 'til I find a way out of this one, you little shit!" She thought, her own green eyes burning red with rage.

The warrior's hatred was halted, replaced with the dread and disgust she had managed to keep at bay so far when the beast's bloated hands grabbed her by the waist! This creature was much like the ones she slaughtered in the woods before, only somehow even uglier! It appeared to smile, as much as its hideous features would allow it to do so, while it looked at her, positioning   
her hips over its hardened member!

Readying herself, Sonja grabbed at the chains of the shackles which held her by the wrists; Meanwhile, the ones trapping her ankles forbade any meaningful resistance, allowing for neither bending nor closing her legs! In one, painful motion, the monster was inside her!

Screaming, the redhead arched her back, bending her head rearward! The abomination defiling her took a step forward, pressing her oiled body against the stone slab, grinning triumphantly! She responded in kind; Clenching her jaw, bringing her head forward as fast as she could, viciously slamming her forehead onto the creatures would-be smile!

Taking a step back, though not enough to leave her body, the beast howled in pain; its lips profusely dripping blood! It tightened its grip around the female's waist, hatefully looking at her again.

"Bitch!" The warden screamed, looking up at the woman who smiled, sporting a dark bloodstain on her brow.

"I knew it!" Kohen, who so far had done nothing but watch in silence clapped. "You will prove an amusing one to break!" He ran a hand over his beard. "Good! The strong ones are always the best! Plus, it means I can take my leave now. There will be plenty of chances to watch you break in the future."

"Laugh while you can!" Sonja replied. "Before this is over, I'll make you swallow that stupid beard, I swear it!" She spat.

He turned to the warden, amused at the female's threat. "Shamir!"

"Yes."

"Make sure it all runs smoothly here. This is a special one." Kohen pointed at Red Sonja. "I'll come visit when I can. You keep me informed of results otherwise."

"Gladly, sir." Shamir, the warden bowed.

In her mind, Sonja had hoped to turn this into a fight, or more precisely a beating, imagining it would be less degrading than what transpired. Yet, none of the males around her seemed to mind her defiance. The men looked entertained, if anything, and the monster grabbing and penetrating her held back, against all reason.

"Continue." Shamir poked the copulating creature with a crop, which he always held in hand.

Whatever anger the beast housed from the woman's blow was evidently redirected towards the act of raping her! The monster pounded the redhead with as much brutality as it could! Though not bigger than every man's, his member was certainly larger than a typical human's, and she had certainly not been primed for it! His huge hands bruised her hips, grappling them, pulling and pushing back and forth, forcing the woman's torso up and down his erection!

Sonja grunted, her wrists and ankles hurt by the motion, as she was shaken up and down! Somehow though, the experience was less painful than expected; less repulsive even! Her skin felt heated, close to the point of burning! "The ointments!" She thought, grasping that neither the numbed pain nor increased pleasure were natural reactions from her body.

Accelerating its pace, the creature rejoiced, smiling again with its horrible, ape-like visage, when he felt the woman's lubrication increasing around his cock! He growled and grunted along with her, the pair of them engaging in an angry competition of snarls and moans, while he violently rammed her!

Shaking her head, biting her lips, Sonja refused to give in! The beast might use her to please itself, but it would not please her! Suppressing any feelings of ecstasy, she shut her eyes, biting her lips, grumbling, while heavy breaths escaped them!

The creature's shaggy gray hair swung back and forth, following the motions of sexual performance, its weight increased by sweat! Under that leathery skin, the beast's bulky muscles could be seen to tense, particularly its buttocks; Fingers and toes curling while his cock tensed to the maximum, unleashing spurts of odious hot seed when he finally reached climax inside the red-haired woman!

A loud couple howls, followed by two newly arched backs ensued, while Red Sonja's legs stretched, strained by the shackles which pulled them down and the monster's last thrusts, which forced her hips upward! 

Unceremoniously, with a final gaze of conquest, the creature stepped back, sliding its already half-limp member from inside the woman; a drop of his gift escaping her vaginal lips, running down her left leg!

For minutes, Sonja just breathed, eyes closed, her ample breasts heaving up and down, hard nipples glistening bronze-like with oil and sweat. She remained in this state until she felt the warden's crop poking her leg.

"Nothing?" Shamir said, examining the redhead. She lifted her head slightly, opening her eyes. "Well… Maybe you're not compatible with our lower castes after all. Then again, that will take multiple tries to make certain." He smiled, taking steps back. "Looks like I'll need to go and get more balm for this one."

Terrified, Red Sonja looked up, then around the cavern. A freezing shiver shot up her back when she spotted both inside the firelight, and in the darkness beyond it, the silhouettes of many more of those ape-like creatures. Standing. Staring. Waiting!

…

*********

"I hear Yudel's last catch is a feisty one." Abiel, the elder said, looking down at a map of the valley.

"They often are. In the beginning." Abimelech remarked, adding marks to the landscape.

"This one is different." Kohen said. "Shamir confirmed she's not fit for the soldiers." He added, shaking his head when he too looked at the outlines on the table.

"Oh? Promising." Abimael said. "Can't remember the last time we had one who went past the first caste."

"Yes." Kohen replied, smiling. "From what I've seen I'd be willing to bet she goes beyond the next one."

Abiel widened his eyes. "A bold claim." He said, before looking back down, pointing at other places on the map for Abimelech to mark.

"I'd wager on it." The Prefect replied, once again looking down at the drawings, shaking his head. "You're wasting your time with that. Again."

"It's a process of elimination."

"The valley is too big, the underground complex too vast, and that map is decades old, from before the floods even."

"Either way, time is on our side. If it takes decades, we'll find the resistance."

"Decades? Only if you're waiting for them to die out. Not only do they know the valley and caves better than us, but they can also be mobile, and we yet lack the numbers to cover enough of an area for your idea to work."

"What then Kohen?" Abimael interjected. "Keep playing motte and bailey with the villages like you're so fond of?"

"It's been working so far. As you said, time is with us, so does it favor a war of attrition."

"You're ceding the offensive to them." Abiel said.

Kohen laughed, straightening his beard. "Heh! Not for long. We can replenish numbers, they cannot."

"All the same. I prefer to act, rather than only wait."

"Suit yourself. Make sure not to spread our forces thin."

"What do you take us for? Some kind of imbe..."

A booming noise of books and timber falling disrupted the quartet's conversation.

"Dammit boy!" Abiel slapped Eren in the head. "I told you to be quiet and not disturb us while you clean!"

"Sorry." Eren bowed his head. "I was dusting the shelves, and they just fell..."

"I don't care for your excuses." The elder slapped the boy again. "You walk around like a half-asleep, lazy..."

"Leave the boy alone." Kohen said, casually. "You're just making him take longer to do his chores. He is to clean all of my house by tomorrow night."

The old man looked down at the pile of fallen books and racks, then back at the scared pale boy. "He's not getting any sleep before he fixes this mess here."

"Fine." The Prefect sighed, before addressing the boy himself. "Fix the stand, reorganize the books and finish dusting before you leave here." He said, then turning towards the elders. "Night is close. We better finish it up here anyway. Are you all going back to your places, or will you spend the night?"

"We best leave." The elders agreed. "We need to tend to our shrines, further our writings and start selecting new recruiters, now that Yudel is gone."

"Make it quick then. The gate closes in an hour, and you don't have long to reach even other villages before it gets dark. Complain all you want about my methods; You don't want to be ambushed out there."

"Very well." Abiel said, beckoning the others, Kohen leading the pack out of the room. Before exiting himself, the old man took the time to give the boy one final slap. " Remember, no sleeping before the room is in order and cleaned!"

Eren nodded obediently. "Sir!" He watched as the man left, waiting for footsteps to fade down the stairs to the magistrate's abode. His plan had worked! People here were nothing if not predictable, he thought. With just pretending to knock down some books and shelves, he'd have the night in this room all by himself! Approaching the table, Eren looked down at the map. Kohen was right, he considered, this chart was severely outdated, but little did the man know, it was far from useless. 

None in any of the villages were as acquainted with the valley and the wider cavern complex as Eren himself. Like the elders themselves had unwittingly argued, from now on, this was a process of elimination. Looking at all the places where he already knew the red-haired warrior could not be, Eren deduced she had to be held in one of the caves that existed up one of the mountains. Fortunately, this made it so the potential places indicated in the old map were unaffected by the floods, and thus unchanged. Unfortunately, these places were both many in number, and widely scattered. This would not be a matter of simply having to memorize as much as he could. There was a need to narrow the options before any nightly excursion to find the woman could take place.

...

*********

This time around, Red Sonja had been strapped over a horizontal slab of rock; Laid on her back, arms and legs bound by the extremities, much like before. Her naked tanned body shone, oils again reflecting the flames, showcasing the curvature of her sculpted muscles and feminine lumps alike. A twisted chant echoed through the walls, accompanied by the occasional sound of a gong, or drum. Around her, those small, odd looking villagers gathered in a circle; All male, all nude, all fully erect!

The little, strangely proportioned men's bodies were covered only in drawings made out of blue paint and the occasional piece of jewelry, or some other type of decorative garment; Their bounty of ritual scarification completely exposed. They all pleasured themselves, though not quite ever allowing to reach climax, as they each waited for their turn with the redheaded woman!

One after another, Sonja received their seed! One after another, these diminutive men fucked her to their heart's content! Individually, they had neither the size nor the stamina of the ugly ape-like beasts who had their way with her before. Only, they made up for it with numbers!

Though the experience was not as intense this time around, Red Sonja grunted in protest, as she moaned in unwanted pleasure while her sex was made into a swamp of the many villager's combined seed. They bit her and licked her all over! Groping her breasts, sucking on her nipples! Still, no matter how many handled her at a time, all of them made sure to finish inside!

One after another… The female warrior could not tell how many they were, nor how long that ritualistic orgy lasted. Only that at some point, the room was empty and silent, and she was left there. Spent, spread-eagle over the slab, a pool of sperm underneath her hips, oozing from her and down the stone, all the way to another pool on the floor. Sonja finally awoke with the warden, poking her. She had no idea how for how long she'd been left there, half-unconscious, though her body was cold, and her oiled skin covered in goosebumps.

"Still nothing, hum?" Shamir said, curious. "It seems you are a promising one." He smiled. "Let's get you back to your cell before you freeze. Don't want to waste that magnificent body now, do we?"

...

02 - "AFTER DARK"

It had to be it! Eren thought, recalling the details of the map he'd spent so much time observing and memorizing. He knew what it meant, when he saw villagers leaving, then arriving, to and from expeditions into the mountains. The time taken with this journey, considering general speed of travel and an educated guess concerning time of stay, left only one option; the large mountain southeast from this citadel! True, there were many cave entrances along the side of that lofty land mass, but narrowing possibilities down to a single one of the valley's peaks meant traveling to, and searching it, could conceivably be done in a single night; Either way, he had to make an attempt!

The day and night before, Eren tried his best to rest. No venturing out, and no skulking around. No learning, nor planning. Only sleep after doing his chores; for the coming night, would be the one when he'd risk it all, to find the woman called Sonja!

...

*********

"We've got something rather special for you this time." Shamir, the warden said, not hiding any hint of a sadistic glee. "This will be a rare spectacle."

Red Sonja still struggled as her fully disrobed and oiled body was fastened to a stone slab, by the combined effort of small man-like and huge ape-like hands! This time around, she was made to lay on her belly over what appeared to be an anvil-like rock formation; Like a bitch on all fours ready to be taken! Her bruised wrists and ankles shackled close to the ground around the boulder.

Making sure the feisty female was properly secured, Shamir called out to one of the monsters, while the gathering scattered through the room, clearing the redhead's immediate surroundings. "Bring it in." He said.

From her position, Sonja could still see the corridor wherein the creature called upon disappeared. "Bring it in?" she considered the words spoken. "It? Bring what in?!"

To her horror, she heard the answer, before she saw it. The sounds of hooves hitting the stone floor! When her eyes finally gazed upon what emerged from the darkness of that tunnel, the sight was more horrifying that whatever sickening fate her imagination had pictured!

The creature, if it even had a name, had the body of a small horse, only it was hairless, with loose, leathery tanned skin. Its neck was unusually long, and atop it, was the hideous head of a man! The way it was guided by the humanoid monster at its side, as well as the manner with which it moved its head about, sniffing the air, made it look as if it was blind. That notion was quickly confirmed when it suddenly stopped jerking, honing in on the female scent just ahead, looking towards the woman's direction with blank, milk-white eyes!

Speechless, horrified, acting on sheer instinct, Sonja looked down and saw it! Underneath the thing's equine torso, a huge sexual organ no less mount-like in shape nor size, hardened, longing for her! 

...

*********

Just as soon as the sun went down, Eren hopped over the wall and ran into the forest! This time around, there was less room to worry about someone noticing his absence; less room for waiting for most of the village to fall asleep. In any case, just as long as he was not seen leaving, it would simply be assumed by anyone he would be elsewhere in town. Luckily, this time of year days were as short, as the nights were long. He did not expect, or more accurately, he hoped to not have to return to the village at all. But if he had to, there was some breathing room, considering by the present length of the witching hour.

Eren could really see it now, how his nightly excursions and studying of the maps paid off. Navigating through the forest was a swift endeavor, staying hidden was easy through most of the way, at least until he reached the base of the mountain he wanted to climb; an end which was increasingly within sight. As the start of the climb neared, he fidgeted with his pockets, hay and pebbles gathered beforehand, he'd have to take his time placing indicators along the way up if only to make the way down that much faster. The forest itself was, after all, already much better prepared by him.

At the beginning of the hike, once the first clearing appeared, Eren halted for a moment, peeling back his hood, feeling the cold wind that rustled through the leaves run through his black hair and over his pale blue skin. He looked back, seeing hints of light flicker here and there in the valley; lights from the villages he prayed never to have to return. To the other side, looming above him, somewhere, the red-haired woman-warrior was held captive. Somewhere up there, was hope for a future!

...

*********

Placing itself to stand right above the woman, the creature's torso applied some pressure over her, squeezing her body against the stone underneath; The height of which one of exact measure, so that everything fell into place! It took a while, but the equine phallus finally won over, penetrating her for a good three-quarters of its length! Once the swollen head pierced her entrance, the rest followed suit with ease! The beast went on to ride her like a mare, brutally thrusting in and out, shaking its drooling head from one side to the other in ecstasy while it ravaged the female!

Sonja screamed in pain, though only at first! Her vaginal lips struggled, stretching around that animalistic member; Only they were progressively aided by the beast's own overflow of semen! Her body left oil imprints under the creature's frame, one more layer of lubricant to that back-and-forth onslaught!

That spectacle of debauchery and defilement seemed endless, or at least that's what it felt for the red-haired warrior! The creature's stamina was incredible! It never stopped, never softened; no matter how many times it seemed to flare and burst inside her!

Surprised and sickened by her own thoughts, Sonja was forced to concede, if not for the shame and humiliation of it, there might have been something to enjoy about that beastly experience.

...

*********

A second time, Eren looked back. He was much higher now, and no lights could be seen down in the valley anymore. Most of the night had already passed, and so far none of the caves he'd visited held much of anything beyond rocks. Yet, there was still much to go on the way up. Had he been wrong? Was this expedition a fool's errand? The thoughts crossed his mind, as well as the consideration that if he turned back now, there was still time to reach the village and go inside without anyone noticing anything. Maybe he needed to plan things better, be more certain of where to go before leaving again. Maybe this whole idea had always been a foolish one, from the start. Suddenly, unexpectedly, he heard it! A scream coming from above! The unmistakable voice of a woman! Was this the redhead, Sonja? No matter. The decision was made for him then and there, Eren thought, He had to find out!

As he inched up, yelps grew clearer and louder, guiding him past other entrances he'd otherwise have explored. So hard was the climb, so uneven the terrain, that reaching his goal still took the better part of an hour. Eren could not possibly guess why this, of all places, was the choice for holding any prisoner, so distant and hard to reach it was. The cavern eventually reached was as dark as any, at least from the outside, only the screams echoing from its insides were cries which demanded exploration. From this distance, recognizing the sultry voice was possible. She was in there!

Lurking blindly, pressed to a wall, Eren moved inside, walking for a few minutes before the light of fires could be seen at the end of the tunnel. So loud was the woman's screaming, not only did it guide him through the dark, it also made attempts of moving silently unnecessary.

The rocky corridor eventually lead to a circular dome-like structure composed by two distinct floors. Above, where Eren found himself, there was a thin walkway rim which circled the entire structure halfway between the ceiling and the base located on the floor below. Along the walls, following this outlining structure, there were prison cells; The front of them made from parallel metal bars, each sporting a single, narrow door. Beside every cell, what looked like eye-level burners shot the flames used for illumination. Directly to the opposite side of the cave entrance, was a small stairway, carved through the rock, used to breach the suspended path and the level below. 

Taking a step forward, Eren looked down, through the hollowed center of the upper floor gaze at what lay below. An ample room adorned by a big circular henge in the middle, torches hanging from the vertical stones, which provided illumination to the level below, focusing the light towards the inside of that stone circle, wherein several different types of altars existed. He could see shapes lurking beyond the erect rocks, half-hidden in shadow, watching the spectacle that unfolded inside. There she was! Tied to one of the altars, the red-haired woman, Sonja! To the boy's horror though, neither was she alone, nor were her screams left unexplained!

Atop the woman, a strange mule-like creature, with an elongated neck and the head of a man mounted her! It humped violently, shaking its head from side to side in a frenzy, slobber spraying from its mouth! Under the beast, the redhead, or what could be seen of her from this position, shrieked! Her noises a mixture of objection and revulsion sprinkled with smidgens of pleasure! 

The sight of it all was revolting, yet Eren could not look away! He understood that whatever the action to be taken, he'd still have to wait for this performance to finish. Even so, with uncharacteristic carelessness, he remained there, watching; knowing he should probably try to hide again. "I'm going!" He told himself over and over. But a strange fascination held him in place. It was hard to say how long it lasted, though it was a safe assumption to say a long time.

"You?! What are you doing here?!"

Eren froze in place when he heard the recognizable voice from right behind him!

"Shamir!" Kohen called. "Up here, now!"

"Yes… Yes." The warden said as he hurried up the stairs. "What is..." He too froze at the sight of the intruder.

"Do you have anything to do with this?" Kohen pointed at the boy. "Did you know he was here?"

"I… No!" Shamir replied, walking across the stony rim, crop in hand. "Of course not!"

"Well then, explain yourself, boy!" Kohen looked down ominously.

"I..." Listening to the red woman screaming, Eren turned to face the Prefect, lying with the first thing that came to his mind. "I wanted to see it." He pointed down to the lower floor. "Watch her."

The bearded man's expression softened somewhat. It appeared as if this motivation was, at least in part, convincing. Still, there were far too many things out of place to satisfy him. It was not merely the boy's transgression, itself a big and unusual issue, but the questions of how did he find, or reach this cave, and how did he leave the village in the first place, all sprouting in his mind. Maybe there was nothing special to those answers. Perhaps it was all an extraordinary display of determination displayed, in the attempt to watch the red-haired beauty violated. Little did that thought do to ease the Kohen's mind, however.

From behind him, Shamir struck the boy on the side of the face with his crop. "Watch? Why are you here?!"

Eren recoiled, losing his balance by the sudden blow, nearly falling close to the edge of the walkway, and down to the floor below! To his surprise, it was Kohen who grabbed him by the arm, preventing the fall, although there was certainly no warmth to the bearded man's grasp.

"You fool!" Kohen berated the warden. "What are you doing? He may be of the blood!"

Remembering his life in the villages, Eren recalled how the reason people there suffered him to live had something to do with their belief that he might be one of them, and that killing him if such was the case, was a great transgression to their religion. The truth was, he did not know it himself, whether the villagers were right or not in this assumption; details of his origins being few and vague alike. Whatever the case, this notion had kept him in one piece thus far, and he knew better than to question it.

"I..." Shamir looked at the pale boy, then terrified at the fall just prevented.

"As for you..." Kohen looked at the boy again, at first angry, then with a wicked smile. "Did you want to watch? You'll watch it all then! 'Til the end. And then, the next one!" He quickly jammed his hands into the boy's pockets and patted his rags, only to be disappointed in finding nothing but scraps of hay and a few colorful pebbles. He then pulled the young man by the arm, dragging him some twenty feet down the walkway, finally throwing him inside one of the cells, which had an open door. "Enjoy the show." He added, before locking the chamber shut!

The little room was but a niche carved into the stone. The ground was moist and muddy, near clay-like. Inside, there was nothing but two bundled blankets in one corner and a wooden bucket in another. 

"Just make sure to give him enough food and water." Kohen told the warden. He then turned to the boy. "Enjoy your new home, boy. We won't harm you, but you can't be allowed to run about freely anymore. Don't worry, you'll be having company between the rituals, and you'll get to watch those all the way through. At least for a while." He added, grinning as he straightened his beard.

...

*********

Kohen had been right. The man left soon after trapping him, but the meaning behind his words stayed behind. From the cell, Eren could see perfectly all that transpired in the halls below. For a good half hour more, at the least, the female warrior was ravaged by that strange, vile creature. Once the deed was done, Sonja was left there, atop a stone slab, breathing for a few minutes, while seminal fluids oozed from her. The warden walked around, poking the woman with his crop, whispering something, while the human-mule hybrid was dragged away by a helper. Minutes later, he commanded two monstrous soldiers to unshackle the redhead. The beasts did as told, then dragging her limp body to the stairs.

A moment later, Eren understood how something else Kohen had said made sense. The red-headed woman's cell was also his own! His amber eyes met with her widening, surprised green ones while she hung limply by the creature's arms when they opened the door, quickly throwing her in, then closing it again, before walking away in clockwork fashion.

"Eren?! What..." Sonja gasped when he moved to cover her naked body with one of the blankets. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to help." Eren whispered in her ear when he put the cloth around her. The intent behind his words was certainly true. Though getting caught was never part of the plan. He would have to come up with a way to escape using what little was available here, if he really was to help her. For now, however, it was best not to say as much.

"You mean you came here on your own?!" Sonja slapped the boy in the head. "Idiot!"

"No… I… We can escape."

Sonja looked at the boy. She figured he was trying to help in his own impotent way as he could, much like he tried to do back in the village. The truth was, with the abuse she already went through, even the notion of getting out of this situation had begun to slip her mind. Now, on top of it, someone else was dragged into a similar fate, and only the Gods could guess what the future held for them. Despite all that, Sonja could only think about how she was glad to find this little island of comfort, amid the current sea of despair.

"Ow..." Eren tumbled back when the woman wrapped her arms around him, hugging tightly. Maybe it was best he remained quiet. Explain things only when it all looked more hopeful, he considered.

"Let's rest… I need to rest." Sonja said.

"Right." Eren nodded. Walking towards a corner, he removed his shoes, taking from them two silver coins, which he'd lifted from Yudel's corpse several days prior. Luckily, Kohen had not considered checking his footwear. Burying them in the layer of clay above the floor, he figured having some pieces of metal at hand might come to be of use at some point.

Sonja stretched one of the blankets over the floor, as to lay on it. Eren looked up at her, watching her movements, unable to contain his awe. She wore nothing but metal shackles around her ankles and wrists, and a metal ring around her neck, yet there was no attempt to cover herself. Her skin shone like polished bronze, coated with some manner of oil, as did her hair sparkle like copper. Her ample feminine curves complimented that honed warrior physique perfectly. Despite how beautiful she looked, the signs of abuse were still there; Bruises and an aura of tiredness and defeat. "Come on." She called. He joined her between the blankets, conceding that the nightly stride had him spent. In any case, he'd need time to come up with a way to escape.

The makeshift bed was as uncomfortable as it was moist, like the clay underneath it. The cell was so cold Eren had to wonder how it was that the woman had not frozen to death already. Shivering, they held one another close.

...

03 - "BEFORE DAWN"

This time Sonja had her arms tied behind her back, but otherwise, she was somewhat free, only ankles fastened to long chains, while she was released in a small open arena. Unfortunately, the chains were not so long she was able to kick.

The pack of little creatures swarmed the woman from all sides! Maybe two and a half feet tall, though there was at least a dozen of them! There was something lizard-like to their appearance, hairless, lightly-tanned skin almost scaly, wide mouths with sharp teeth, big yellow eyes, and long arms with clawed hands. Their engorged members though, were plenty human-like, not only in shape but also in size! In a flash, she was overpowered!

These imps lacked any patience in waiting for their turn, instead rabidly biting and clawing at each other, as much as they did the female! Shoving themselves into whatever nook, or cranny they could find on her body! At any given moment, at least two of them would find themselves inside her; more often than not, in the same orifice!

The warden circled the action, making sure to whip at any of the creatures who risked finishing in the wrong place! "Quit wasting your seed!" He'd scream to no avail, whenever one of the imps would cover the redhead with its ejaculate.

Pressed against the bars, the pale-skinned boy watched; A swirling mass of feelings assaulting him! Anger and frustration for the powerlessness of not being able to help! Sorry and disgust over what happened to her. Yet there was enticement for the idea of her! 

The distraction, however, provided Eren with the chance to better examine his surroundings. The lock for the cell was old, but also slim and well built. He'd not be able to pick it even if he had the tools to do it. Thinking back, his scheme for freeing the female fighter had always been a faulty one. He'd figured she'd be in some manner of a cage, only up to that point, the best idea was just to find the key and release her. He really did, in the end, rush into things. Right now though, it was evident that there were only two choices; Getting rid of the bars, or getting a key. The former was probably impossible, the latter, however…

Sonja had given up the struggle. Marks of claws and bites covered her body, much as sexual fluids. Allowing herself to be handled by the little creatures would, at least, likely hasten the experience and make it less painful. Closing her eyes, she allowed the imps to have their way with her, to their heart's content! Two at a time would finished inside her! Always two at a time. Each lacking the will to wait for their individual turns.

With great difficulty, hanging by the bars, Eren reached for the burner on the outside, near the side of the cell. Several times his fingers were in danger of blistering, though in part that was because he could not look away from the red-haired woman's toil. Nevertheless, he kept at it, desperate to finish before the imps. Finally, almost to a second when the little creatures retreated, so did his hand with the desired result! A lump of clay collected from the floor, One side of it completely blackened by the direct exposure to the flames. "Hope it works. Not the best idea, but it's all I have." He thought, once more looking around the cell, making sure he didn't miss anything. Removing the sack that passed for his shirt, Eren palmed the clay into the cloth, holding it in a bundle with a hand. The creatures who would be bringing the redhead back to their cell weren't particularly bright, but he'd have to sell his act all the same.

After several minutes passed, there they were; two soldier creatures and the half-unconscious woman-warrior to be returned to the cage. Eren looked carefully, trying to see from afar where it was that the key to the cell was kept. "There!" He thought, locating the thin metallic object about one of the creature's waists. ""I have to get their attention and give it a try before they unlock the door.""

Once the pair of monsters were a few steps away from the cell wherein they were to drop the female, the boy trapped inside started to call out.

"Hey. Bring me some water. Please." Eren shouted. He was all but ignored, as expected. "Water!" He said more determinedly, feigning anger. "I need water!" It was enough to have the creatures looking at him as they approached. "Now!" He though. "Water!" He screamed, strategically banging his hands against the creature who held the key. "Bring me some water!"

Through the bars, the creature backhanded the boy, launching him back, before it opened the door and tossed the woman inside, then closing it again.

"What's this commotion there?" Shamir called out, approaching.

"I… I want some water." Eren replied, rubbing his face.

"Why is your shirt off?" The warden asked, evidently considering the cold.

"To clean her." The boy lied, pointing at the woman. "Why do you think I want water?"

"Why do you care?"

"I have to sleep here, don't I? Besides, you want her to last, don't you?"

That last remark managed to have the man worried. He was not in the habit of caring for his prisoners, but with the harsh cold and tremendous discomfort, if this woman was to grow sick, or, his God forbid, die… On the other hand, maybe he could put the boy to some use after all. He was a servant in the villages. It was only fitting he became his servant here. With his help, the red-haired woman might last much more than expected!

"Bring a bucket of water, a bowl of healing balm and another blanket!" Shamir said, nodding to one of the soldiers. "You wanted it? Suit yourself boy!" He said, turning back to Eren. "You care for her while she's in this cell! I expect her cleaned and oiled, before and after each ritual!"

The pale boy nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"Yes. The boy will do fine." Shamir thought, exhilarated by his own cleverness. "I'll have him do this with every prisoner in the future from now on."

After the goods had been delivered, Eren was left to his own devices, to care for the woman. Turning his wrapped hand, he smiled, looking at the blackened lump of clay held in it; blackened but for the perfect indentation of a key print! "Just a moment." He whispered in the woman's ear, helping her to the blanket, and to a sitting position in a corner. He then moved to dig up one of the buried silver coins. Carefully, he pressed the clay over the silver, transferring the outline onto the flat, metallic surface. Afterwards, he retrieved the second coin, and meticulously used it to scratch the key's delineated contour. "This will take a while. There's nothing else of metal in here. I can't cut through the coin. Gonna have to scrape it against the wall and wear it out all the way." Eren smiled, a swollen cheek still hurting. It would indeed take a while, but it was, at least, a plan.

…

*********

In spite of this whole ordeal, Red Sonja still managed to crack a smile, while the pale boy oiled her, after having her cleaned. His face blushed crimson, and he did his best to avoid her eyes, while also doing his best not to touch her womanly parts. "You missed a spot." She said, pointing at her breasts.

"I..." Eren blushed even further.

"Go ahead. You seemed to enjoy them last night when we slept together."

"No! I..."

"It's alright." Sonja told the boy. Though her smile was genuine, it carried much sadness. "Having you touch me is a welcome change." She made the strange confession, knowing how much the boy was aroused by her. Still, it was true.

Eren was petrified. Somehow the woman scared him more than the monsters, though she was not wrong about the night before. Thinking she was asleep, he could not help himself, holding her so tightly under the blanket.

"Come on." Sonja said warmly. "I'll let you play with them tonight too." She chuckled. "Also, now that your shirt is ruined, you should let me oil you as well. It will protect you from the cold."

"No, we better not waste it. The warden will get mad."

Sonja looked at the bowl, then at his face. "You may have a point. Just..." She dipped a finger in the oil. "Here." She said, rubbing his bruised cheek. "This will heal you in no time." She leaned in, kissing the wound. "I guess I don't need to oil the rest of you since we'll be rubbing together all night, right?"

"We..." Eren tried to speak, failing miserably.

"Come on." Sonja beckoned towards the blankets. "There's still enough oil in your hands. You can do my breasts under here." She smiled again, telling herself he deserved a treat, just as she yearned for a loving touch for a change.

Through the night that passed, Eren would always try his best to shift his hips away from her, as to hide his excitement, as if she would somehow not know it to be there. Sonja was amused, not minding it either way. For all his gentlemanly attempts though, he could not help fondling her chest for as long as he was awake, and likely well past that.

...

*********

"I have to say red, Yudel really excelled expectations getting you!" Shamir said, getting the female ready for the next ritual, fastening a chain to the metal ring around her neck, then stepping away, leaving her in the same arena where she was the previous time.

Would the imps return? Sonja thought, remarking on the oddity that all her limbs were left unbound this time. The notion was quickly dispelled though, when the thing coming for her quietly stepped into the light.

At least some eight feet tall, this living atrocity had the face of a vampire bat with small horns on its head. The body, though humanoid, was very bloated, nearly round, a hairless leathery tan in the front and covered in white fur on the back. The legs were short and stocky, while the arms were very long and lanky; Both ending on three-fingered clawed extremities. This beast reached forward, grabbing the female by the waist before she could react, lifting her from the ground with ease! From under its belly, there came a tentacle-like member, surging upwards and inwards! 

Gasping, Sonja screamed while the appendage thrashed inside her sex!

Eren took turns between filing the coin against the rock and watching the red-haired woman face the beast! A conflicting sense of both hatred and envy directed towards the creature. The sooner he could get them both out of there, the sooner this nightmare would end! Not just for her sake, but for his sanity as well.

The creature ejaculated faster, and far more passionlessly than the others. It violated the woman mechanically, mostly just allowing its phallus to do the work. In a few minutes, it had her dripping a bountiful combination of both their fluids. Before long, it had finished filling the redhead a few times over, finally tossing her to the ground like a rag, before walking back towards one of the dark passageways which surrounded this level of the cave.

…

*********

The creatures had dragged Sonja back, this time along with some food and water, but no new piece of cloth. Eren tore one of the legs from his outfit in order to clean the redhead, following suit with using the healing oils to help her regain some strength. Within moments, she was wrapped in a blanket, eating her portion of the meal, while he was setting things up for laying down and sleeping again.

The imprisoned pair ate in silence, Eren fiddled with the would-be silver key, before hiding it in the ground again. His desire to tell her of an attempt to escape was all-consuming, but he feared to give the woman hope before the notion of success was at least somewhat concrete.

As expected, Sonja called him, lifting the blanket with an arm, asking him to join in. Her once defiant attitude had morphed into a quiet desperation, and it was evident she clung to him for comfort; For his part, Eren had to admit he was not too far behind her there; seeking in her arms the soothe he'd never known before. Though being close to her was enticing far beyond just that.

"Maybe we should..." Eren spoke, approaching. Sonja placed a finger over his lips.

"I don't want to talk now. Just… Lay here with me."

Silently, the boy complied. When he made to lay down, the woman hugged him, preventing him from turning away. Before he could awkwardly shift his pelvis, she slid one of her legs between his, feeling the hot, hard bulge over her knee. One of her hands moved behind his head, running her tanned fingers through his black hair, pressing his face against her bust. Sonja smiled, feeling his hands again on her breasts, grabbing at their curvature, playing with her nipples. She felt, though not to the point where she could openly admit it, that perhaps this was it for her! This incarceration was where and when she'd meet her end after all. The boy's touch, so innocent, so earnest, was the last speck of kindness left in the world for her; the one thing that felt clean, and right after all the humiliations she'd suffered.

His body acted by a will all its own, Eren felt. He simply could not help touching her, groping her! A desperate urge to be closer! Strange as it was, Sonja made him feel weaker, showing him this kindness and intimacy which was so alien to the life he'd known. He felt like melting over her, letting her be the strong one; the one he'd met back in the village. The one he'd come to rescue!

"Ah... " Sonja moaned softly, feeling the boy's mouth clamp on her breast! His lips brush back and forth as he caressed her chest, and sucked on her hardened nipples. She, in turn, massaged the back of his head, showcasing her approval to his touch. Her knee rocked softly back and forth, feeling something large and hard, for which she still lacked the courage to reach.

That arousing desire for closeness between Red Sonja and the pale boy went on for hours, though they both dared not go any further than that. I did not feel right; At least not then, and not there.

…

*********

Almost without resistance, Sonja was dragged from the cell. She loathed leaving the bed, but otherwise appeared consigned to her fate. One more time, she was taken to that small, circular arena. One more time, she was chained. This time, only by the neck.

Sonja had to wait a while, before whatever it was that came to defile her appeared. A strange, disturbing sound it made; Circling the pit, as if dragging something on the floor behind it. The warden's eyes shone brightly with glee and anticipation, waiting to witness the red-haired woman's reactions. To his delight, it did not disappoint!

Sonja recoiled aghast, seeing the giant snake-thing slither into the light! Or was it a spider-thing?

A huge sand-colored serpentine body it had, though it's sides were adorned by pairs of long spider legs! It crawled, as much as slither, as it moved, occasionally using the stone pillars for support, while it circled its prey, spanning the entirety of the pit! From its foremost extremity, a horrible human head looked down at the female! Hungry and anxious!

With amazing speed, this creature tightened the circle, coiling itself around the woman! as they both fell to the ground! It jammed its pointy legs for support all around, while from its scaly length, there protruded a bright red, hardened phallus!

Once more, Eren could not look away, with impotent rage and repulsive arousal alike! He tried to focus those feelings into increased efforts to produce the means for their release; her release! The sooner he was done, the sooner Sonja would not have to go through this again!

The snake-thing's touch was cold, as was its member when it entered her! Sonja tried to scream, but the monster tightened around her every time, constricting and choking, preventing her from producing any sound!

Thrashing about, the beast had its way with the redhead! It fucked her, amusing itself with its ability to terrorize her by squeezing! For a long time, it coiled back and forth, bashing her against ground and stones through its body!

"Almost!" Eren thought, testing the width of the makeshift key, though never quite taking his eyes away from the woman. "I just need to get the teeth right! Maybe a couple of days more now!" He yearned to be able to tell Sonja they would escape; that he would be her savior!

This last scream, Red Sonja was allowed! When the coiled monstrosity finally burst inside her, it squeezed again, to the point where she passed out!

"Back!" Shamir screamed, jumping into the arena, whipping at the scaly beast. "Stupid creature, you're not supposed to go this far!" He said, examining the woman, pointing at some of the ape-like creatures, for them to take the crawling abomination away. "Nothing with this one either. She grows more valuable every day!" He thought, pleasantly surprised. "You!" He called out to another one of the soldiers. "Take the woman to her cell, while I fetch the boy some more ointment!"

...

*********

Another strip of cloth from his pants had to go. Once again, Eren cleaned and cared for the red haired woman, right up until she slid between the blankets again. Like before, she called out to him. This time though, he joined her without resistance!

Unable to contain himself, Eren went straight for her breasts, much like the day before, groping and sucking on her nipples with gusto! Momentarily losing himself in the moment, forgetting the horror of the cage.

Sonja did not mind it. To the contrary, being in contact with him allowed her to forget, even if only for those few hours before sleep they'd spend rubbing bodies, all the horror experienced, and all the horror that was yet to come. Lost in the moment, she ran her hands over his body, feeling that unusually soft and remarkably warm blue skin! Eventually, she grew frustrated by the fact that he feared to escalate. Sonja also recalled that there was something she could offer him; Something only for him! A place no creature dared venture, for fear of losing a piece of themselves! Grabbing his face with both hands by each side, she pulled his head up from her moist chest, drawing his lips to meet hers!

The pair kissed deeply! Their tongues remaining locked then and all the way 'til the moment they fell asleep together! His hands never neglected her breasts though, nor did hers pay any less attention to his body. Through the boy's torn pants, she felt it poking out! Hot, huge, rubbing against her! She paid it no mind, however, considering herself much too unclean to let him touch her in that way.

...

*********

"You should feel honored, woman." Shamir said when taking the redhead down to the lower level, once more towards the arena. "This will be a first for everyone involved!" He said, grinning.

Red Sonja dreaded ask what he meant, simply resigning herself to silence, burying what remained of her sanity deep inside. Afterward, she could lay with Eren again and forget the ordeal, after all. She waited inside the stone circle for minutes, at some point praying that something might have gone wrong, and she would not have to be submitted to defilement this day. That hope was misplaced.

Emerging from one of the dark passages around, this particular entity had no other creatures escorting it. At first, it appeared to be one of the villagers, though it had a big head, like that of a frog, atop a human torso and arms, complete with greenish skin. Once it moved forward a bit more though, the full horror of it was revealed! From the waist down, there was nothing but a big mass of tentacles, swirling and undulating as the unholy monstrosity advanced!

Before Sonja could think to react, tentacles, cold and wet, had wrapped themselves around her legs! Soon, so were her hips and arms trapped, as she was dragged in the direction of the creature! Once pressed tightly to that chilling abomination, more tentacles wrapped themselves around her, everywhere, barely a quarter of her body left uncovered! While she struggled, Sonja felt it! A hard phallus, emerging from only the Gods know where to ram itself deep inside her!

He could not take much more of this, Eren thought, watching the redhead's defilement yet again! His insides felt hot and cold, clenching with rage! It was no longer just the warrior he wanted to rescue; it was the woman! "Just a bit more!" He filed the contour frantically, already trying to recall details about the patterns of movements in the cave, as well as the way down the mountain, just outside. "Just a little more!"

As if being engulfed by an octopus, Red Sonja was ever more enveloped by those cold, wet appendages, and while they were slippery and soft, the one inside her was certainly not! While Slamming in and out frantically, the creature's vile seed began to ooze, to the point of overflow! Unlike the beast's skin it was hot, and from what she could see dripping on the sandy floor, black, much like a squid's ink! For quite a while, did Sonja receive that monstrous sap! It came in bursts, every few minutes or so, leaving the ground in the arena greatly stained. At some point, the creature appeared sated, sliding its tentacles from around her, and its sexual organ from inside her, to once again crawl by itself away from the stone circle, and to disappear inside one of the dark passages. 

While the woman lay on the ground half-awake, the warden poked her, apparently expecting something to happen much like he did every other time. Nothing ever had, she considered. Nothing, until now!

"Aah!" Sonja screamed, feeling unspeakable pain in her stomach, not unlike a stab wound! Grabbing her belly, she curled into a ball, crying.

"Wha..." Eren looked on, incredulous.

"Yes!" Shamir exclaimed, elated. "At last!"

Within the span of a few minutes, the redhead's belly swelled, like that of a pregnant woman! Not like one! Exactly like one! As Sonja came to find. When the volume of her bulging belly reached its peak, a torrent of black liquid sprang forth from her sex, joined by a small, writhing tentacle! "Naarrgh!" She screamed again, feeling this gelatinous, unholy creature force its way out of her!

Shamir moved forward, taking the birthed abomination into his hands, once it managed to fully find its way out of the red-haired woman. "Yes!" He shouted, triumphantly. "We found your match at last, woman! Be strong now. There will be many more to come." He laughed.

Horrified, Eren knew what this meant. Somehow, he'd grown more comfortable than he should have, almost forgetting why the woman had been here in the first place. Now it dawned on him; he had to finish before the following morning! For her sake, and also for his own.

"Take her back to the cage!" The warden called out to the soldiers surrounding the lower floor. "Bring the boy more oil too. He'll be needing much more of it, from now on!"

It was made plain when she was dropped back inside the cell, that Sonja would need at least several hours of sleep to recover. The key Eren had fashioned was far from perfect, but there was a good chance it would be functional already. Only, if the woman was too spent to run, it would be pointless to even try getting out. Readily, he tore another piece from his pants to clean her; a larger one, as it was needed this time around. After that, he applied the healing ointment all over, her, in a manner far more liberal than before. There was no use in saving it now.

"You best enjoy her while you can, boy." Shamir spoke from the walkway, looking inside, grinning. "Yeah, I seen you two." He said to Eren's look of surprise. "You best use her while she lasts."

To that last remark, the boy's amber eyes narrowed with hatred.

"He he. What's that? You care for this piece of meat? Then you really best enjoy it while you can." The warden mocked, giving the two prisoners one last sadistic grin, before taking his leave.

Hastily, Eren helped the redhead to bed, before sitting beside her, perfecting his design against the rock of the wall.

"Come on." Sonja beckoned the boy to join her under the blankets. "Please."

"Give me a minute." He whispered.

"What are you doing there?"

"I..." It wasn't the time yet. There was still too much commotion in the cave, both soldiers and the occasional villager coming and going. Most of all, she really did need to rest. "I'm coming." He said. "This should be enough." He thought, looking at the coin-turned-key, then back at the red-haired woman. "If we can rest until it's late at night, she will be strong enough. She has to be!" Resolute, he hid the metal object once more, hoping it would be the last time he'd need to do it. After that, he joined his cellmate under the blanket, surprising even himself to realize how eager he'd been to do just that.

Immediately, Sonja pulled the boy into her arms, feeling his warm touch wash away the memory of the cold things who'd just soiled her. Without hesitation, she kissed him! Without hesitation, he grabbed at her breasts, this time around letting his lips dart back and forth between her nipples and tongue! Passionately, she pulled him closer!

The boy's rags were much too damaged at this point; Not enough of it was left to contain him! Before he knew it, his erection sprang forth out freely, reaching between the woman's legs! Shuddering, he could feel her pubic hair brushing over the upside of his cock; her soft, warm lips caressing him!

Sonja felt the stiff rod poking out from between her buttocks! With a hand, she reached back, fondling the glans, rocking her hips back and forth, letting her lips spread and stroke over his length, buttering it with her excitement.

Both of the woman and the boy were scared to push things; to force anything else to happen, each for their own reasons. So far, their intimate moments had progressed, slowly, organically. Even so, she urged to go forward, if only for selfish motives.

"I may die soon. This might be the end of me." Sonja thought in resigned despair, while her tongue wrestled with the boy's. "What will become of Eren then?" She also considered. This could not be further away from the circumstances where she'd ever imagine finding, much less wanting a lover. Not the least of which, one so questionable a choice for the task. Or at least, he would otherwise have been. Distressed, she yearned to feel something good for a change. To know what it was, for one last time, to be touched by someone she wanted, someone she for whom she cared. Eren too desired her, she could say it with both ease and certainty. Maybe it would be a good thing to give him something to remember her. Maybe it would be his own last bit of pleasure as well. Only, it felt wrong! Sonja did not want to be with him like this, out of duress! It was not fair to him either. So violated she felt; so befouled she was! Lacking courage, she did not push things any further. Revolting as the thought was, it would take more time before she could do it, and Gods only knew what could still be in store for her from now on. Saddened, she simply allowed the boy's touch to soothe her to sleep.

…

*********

"Sonja! Wake up, Sonja." The redhead heard the whispers in her ear.

"Wha..." Sonja squinted, seeing the pale boy look at her wide-eyed, the both of them still wrapped around each other under a layer of cloth. "Eren? What's..."

"Shh!" Eren placed a hand over her mouth. "How are you feeling?"

"I… Better. A little, I think." Sonja said, confused. He'd never waken her before.

"Good. Listen..." Eren reached for something. "Try to be quiet. I've been looking around. There's very little movement. Must be the middle of the night."

"So?"

Bringing his hand up, between their faces, the boy produced a rudimentary silver key. "We have to go, now!"

Sonja's green eyes widened! Was this a dream?! "Is..." She looked back and forth between the key and the cell door.

"Yes! If we hurry, we'll be outside before anyone notices."

"Then what?" The once warrior-woman asked, fearful to be feeling hope once again. "There's no way to get out of..."

"We don't need to leave the valley. I'll explain later, but you have to trust me and follow."

After a moment of hesitation, Red Sonja nodded. "Give me a second to get ready. As soon as you open the door, we dash!"

Eren nodded back. "Turn left from the cell. Follow the rim until you reach a big cave, then turn left again, to go inside it. Doesn't matter if it's dark, just keep going! It leads outside. If we get there, I'll know what to do."

"Go on then." Sonja crouched. "I'm ready!"

The key slid in easily enough. At this point, speed was more important than discretion. His design was sufficiently accurate, Eren knew. A knowledge of locks, how they worked, how they open and close, had been a necessity for much of his life. After a bit of fiddling and wriggling, the key began to turn!

As soon as the gap between the bars began to widen, Red Sonja jumped to her feet, blanket used as an improvised cloak. She sprinted, grabbing Eren by a hand, all but dragging him out, following his given instructions! It was strange to feel her body so quickened with life again, after all that happened, but a chance to escape was all it took. In a flash, the she-devil with a sword had returned!

While the fleeing pair made their way through the thin stone walkway, a commotion began on the floor below! There was, after all, no way to move through it without being seen, should anyone, or anything be down there! Nevertheless, the red-haired woman and the pale-skinned boy had a good head start!

Over the blinding darkness of the gorge that linked the stone dome to the outside, Sonja trusted Eren's words, moving ahead recklessly, yet without slowing! Before long, her lungs filled with the fresh mountain top air! At that moment, she stopped, gazing up, looking at the stars she thought she'd never see again!

"This way!" Eren pulled the woman's hand, dragging her back to reality, while in the background, sounds of creatures grunting neared!

Stunned, Sonja found that somehow, the boy could navigate the descent over the ridge, swiftly treading the way down to the dense forest below! Moving this way, they could maintain the distance between themselves and the monsters pursuing them, though the latter could naturally travel faster! "They'll catch up to us. We have to fight!" She said, looking around for a stick, or rock suited to be used as a weapon.

"No, come this way!" Eren pulled the redhead by a hand again.

Once more, he moved through the woods with uncanny sureness, somehow able to find his bearings despite the darkness and the wilderness of the terrain. Even so, that ability would eventually lose to sheer speed. Listening to the noises behind, Sonja still looked around for a good weapon whilst she ran.

"Here!" Eren pulled the woman again, taking a detour into a patch of bushes.

"What are you..."

"In there!" He pointed at a rock, lifting a branch, showcasing a hole in the ground. "Let them pass us by."

Sonja looked at the hiding spot for a moment. It was perfect! Too perfect, like the boy knew it was there all along. "Right!" She nodded, following him, realizing he had planned many things out from the start.

"Just be quiet." Eren whispered, watching the forest from a crevice between rocks. "After they pass us, we can keep going and lose them. The valley is too big. They can't cover that much ground."

"They'll be going to the villages. Get everyone to look for us by morning."

"By then, we'll be long gone."

"What do you mean? We can't possibly leave the valley in so little..."

"No, no." Eren interjected. "It's… We're going to… It's hard to explain right now." He shook his head. "But we'll be safe."

"You… You thought of it all didn't you?" Sonja asked, amazed. "Is that why you came to the cave in the first place? For me?"

"Well, I..." Eren halted, listening to the noises outside!

"Shh!"

Holding their breath, the couple observed, seeing grotesque pairs of feet pass by in haste! In complete silence, they waited, holding each other under the woman's cloak, looking through that slim gap that was a window to the outside.

"Think they're gone?" Sonja asked.

"Maybe. Give it a few more minutes, to be sure."

"We can't stay here. The effects of the oil won't last much longer. Look at you! You're shivering!"

"So are you."

"My point. We gotta go! Look at my feet too!" She raised a leg, showcasing the many cuts under her soles.

Another thing he'd forgotten! Eren berated himself in his mind. "Here. Put on mine."

"Your shoes won't fit me, stupid!" Sonja smiled at him. "Just get me somewhere I can wash and rest. I'll take over from there." She rubbed his hair. "Everything will be fine." She lied.

Nodding, the boy moved to slide out of the hiding spot and look at the surroundings. In a minute, feeling safe enough, he beckoned the woman, and they both moved along! The journey lasted for hours. Sonja's feet hurt to the point where it felt as if anything below her knees was raw! Eren eventually had to help her walk, though fortunately, there were no surprise encounters, nor ambushes along the way. Day was already breaking when he brought them to the entrance of a cave, located close to a small pond.

"We're going in there?" The red-haired woman asked. "To hide again?"

"No. That's the way."

"Alright. Lemme just wash my feet, and we'll go."

Another minute pause, followed by more hours of threading through the underground ensued. Oddly enough, this vast underground complex was not so swallowed in darkness as expected. Instead, fungi growing over the walls and ceilings provided the place with an eerie bluish glow, enough to allow for sight. These tunnels were cold, though not as cold as it was outside. Humidity was much higher, however, with everything here covered with a generous layer of moist. Sonja was about to pass out, and she could tell, and Eren was not too far behind. Stopping now was madness, but then again, so was moving forward. Pain had turned to numbness, and she limped at a snail's pace.

"We should… Rest a little." Sonja said, catching her breath.

"We're almost..."

Suddenly, two figures jumped in from the corner ahead, brandishing spears, ready to lunge! Sonja pushed the boy behind her, raising her hands, ready for a fight! Seeing him fall, one of the assailants tilted its head, looking down at the pale figure. "Eren?" The guard said, removing his helmet, to showcase a human face. Not one like those from the villagers above, however. This man looked perfectly normal. He nodded to the other guard, who ran back whence they came. Then, he took a step forward.

Once more, Sonja took on a menacing stance, limping between the man and the boy.

"It's fine, miss." The guard said, raising his own hands as to indicate an unwillingness to fight. "I'm a friend."

At those words, Sonja looked back at Eren, who nodded at her, smiling. "He is. We're here!"

"Eren?!" A woman's voice called out from behind the man, its source appearing from behind the same corner as the guards had done moments before, alongside the other guard who had left. Behind her, several curious faces also appeared, looking on, daring not approach. "Eren, you..." This old woman, tall and draped in white, looked shocked, shifting her gaze from the boy to the redheaded warrior-woman.

"I did it!" Eren said, smiling, pointing at Red Sonja. "I did it!"

END OF PART 2.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3.


	4. Part 3 - "Asymmetrical warfare"

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

PART 3 - "ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE"

01 - "RESPITE"

She opened her green eyes, looking up at the cloth ceiling. A little fire illuminated the tent, burning inside a lamp placed atop a small wooden table which stood just by her bed. Wriggling her toes, Sonja felt that her feet were bandaged, though they still hurt. Her skin and hair were dry, for the first time in many days not coated in oil. Even so, she felt warm, laying under heavy quilts, more than capable of warding off the cold. She lay there a while longer, breathing deeply, watching her misty breath scatter above.

"Awake, are you? Good, I was starting to think you never would." The old woman said, walking in.

"Was I asleep? How long?" The first question was silly, Sonja realized. How else would she be waking in a warm bed?

"Oh, about a day and a half now. Once we brought you in, you basically collapsed. I've been tending to you ever since."

"And you are?"

"Oh, that's right, I forget we weren't properly introduced." The old woman said. "My name is Emese. I suppose if there were a leader of the resistance, that would be me."

"Resistance? You mean this place?"

"More like the people here."

"I don't quite get what you're talking about, resistance to what?"

"Can't you guess?"

"The… Things up there?"

Emese nodded. "It seems like you don't know much of what happened here, am I right?"

Sonja sat up, realizing she'd been given a new set of clothes. "I can't say I know anything at all. Dammit, for all I can tell, every word I heard about anything was a lie." It occurred to her right then, even now, there were no guarantees anything else she would hear would be true. Still, she was neither in a cell, nor being abused anymore. That had to count for something. Maybe there was a real chance to know the why of all that happened.

"I think you deserve an explanation, after all." The old woman said, taking a seat on a wooden stool by the bed. "Here." She handed Sonja a box she had in her hand. "I was going to eat it, but you can have it. I'll get more later." She smiled. "It's mushroom soup."

"Thanks." the redhead replied, sliding the box' lid open, to find a bowl and spoon inside.

"Now..." Emese looked at the ceiling. "Where to start?"

"At the beginning would be nice." Sonja replied with a mouthful, cleaning her chin with the back of a hand.

"Yes." The old woman sighed. "The beginning. I supposed that would be when the rains started, some half a century ago. I was young back then, younger than you are now, but I remember it all, like it was yesterday." Her eyes went glassy, staring into the past. Without realizing it, a faint smile adorned her face. "The dale was full of life." Emese continued. "A trade round passed right in front of its entrance, so the villages became something of a resting place for merchants, and a popular place for all kinds of business. It had been like that for a dozen decades before, so much so, trading became the valley's entire reason to exist. But then, came the rain. For months, the water fell without stopping, then for years after that, with unusual frequency. Needless to say, that did not bode well for business."

So at least some of what Yudel had told her was true, Sonja considered. "The swamp, right?"

"The swamp. The rain itself." Emese shrugged. "Either way, it ruined us. By the end of it, the entryway into the valley and the road in front of it were flooded, both. It went from an affluent, busy point of reference, to an isolated, poverty stricken dale none would trouble themselves with visiting."

"How does that relate to what's happening now?"

"Well, you see, back then the valley was under the rule of a noble family. The lord's youngest son had gone away to study, or travel, this a few years before the rain. Soon after the floods, he returned. Only he was changed."

"Changed?"

"It's hard to explain. Or maybe not that hard, once you look at what happened next. First, his father died, then the rest of the family followed. In a few weeks, he was the last noble, the only ruler left."

"You're saying he killed his family? For power?"

"For a kind of power. He started some manner of cult, turning his family's castle into a monastery of sorts. Promising prosperity and a return to the valley's former glory. Many were enticed, several joined. Initially, it appeared as if it was harmless, benevolent even. The swamp remained, but occasional caravans would come by, crops improved, and so on. Maybe there was something to his religion, after all."

"I've dealt with cults enough times to know there's always something sinister under the surface."

Emese nodded. "More so than anyone would have guessed back then. Girls from the villages began to vanish. Before long, people's eyes turned towards the cult and the place where they gathered."

"What happened then?"

Looking down, shaking her head, the old woman spoke. "I was already a medicine woman back then, as I remain to this day. Maybe because of that, what came to pass one night felt so horrifying."

Things started to fall into place inside Sonja's mind. One forgotten bit of information, in particular, seemed to fit that story. "In the main village. The burned building..."

"Yes." Emese looked up again. "I felt such regret that I could not prevent it. We were not sure the cult truly had anything to do with the vanishing girls, you see? They barricaded themselves into the castle, trying to escape the angry mob, the zealots. The idea to burn down the place with them in it was a swift and widespread proposition."

"You killed..."

"Would that we had. Back then, as I said, I felt regret for what had been done to them. After though, I came to regret only that the mob was not more thorough!"

Red Sonja was taken aback. "You mean, they were guilty?"

"Oh, yes! The burning went on for weeks. I do not know whether some of the cultists escaped by never going to the castle, or by some other means, but by the end of it, barely a trace of them was left in the valley. Or so we thought; so I hoped, once I learned of who they were."

"I'm not following. Did they come back, or..."

"Out of curiosity, I and a few others managed to save some of their texts, which were left around the other villages. I began to read them..."

Intrigued, the red-haired warrior started to see hints of what might be happening here, of why she was put through the ordeal she endured. "So?"

"This cult was much older than anyone could have guessed. I don't know how the Royals' youngest son found it out, but it seems, without their knowledge, the nobles here were distant descendants from this same sect, which existed here much before recorded history. They worshiped an ancient water God, whose name I can't pronounce; a being once deeply tied to this same valley, somehow."

"Lots of cults are like that." Sonja said. "Some old God trading worship as the solution for current problems. They come and go."

"Perhaps. But this one was different. This God had... Has a much more tangible goal, and his worshippers, are not simply worshippers. No! They are extensions of the creature itself!"

Finished with her food, Red Sonja placed the box on the table, sitting more upright. "What do you mean?"

"This slumbering monstrosity has no desire for adulation. It wants passage into the material plane; into our world!"

"How would such a thing even be possible? I heard of Gods who can sometimes use avatars, but that's only a projection of themselves, like a shadow."

"You're right. But this was no ordinary God. It found a way."

"Which is?"

"Can't you guess? Why do you think they kidnapped girls?"

"I..." Horrified, Sonja connected the dots once more. "It wants to be born into this world!"

"In a way. Bit by bit. Remember what I said, these cultists are not worshipers, but pieces of a whole who managed to cross the threshold already."

"You're saying, All those villagers and monsters up there..."

"Each a piece of the larger puzzle, yes."

Sonja shook her head, baffled. "How… How do I fit into this?"

"I don't know that I can provide you with all the answers you seek, but I'll tell you what else I know." Emese said, interrupting the female warrior. "Some of the writings gathered were notes made by the zealots, detailing their efforts. Apparently, their initial struggles were a failure. The process was extremely taxing, and the village girls they took could not survive it."

"So they wanted warriors. Stronger specimens."

"Yes." The old woman nodded. "Not only that though. The rituals required a lot of refining, and even a strong woman would not be compatible with just any type of creature."

"You mean, all those different beasts are like part of a whole, but serve different functions? Like an ant colony?"

"Yes, but more like organs in a body. That would be a closer comparison to what we're dealing with here."

"Where did they come from though? If the initial attempts were a failure..."

"My guess? I mentioned how some of the cult members could have survived the burning and the ensuing hunt. Like we here at this camp do now, they could have retreated into the underground of the dale, honing their craft, increasing their numbers. Whatever they did, we didn't realize it until it was too late."

"Why wouldn't they just leave? Try their thing in a safer place? Why run the risk of another witch hunt?"

"I don't know the exact answer to that either, but as I said, there is some kind of connection between this deity and this location. Something about their rituals having to be conducted in this land. I've heard of shrines in the valley, though nobody knows where, or what those could be. Again, my guess is, they didn't go somewhere else because they can't."

"I assume you and everyone here, in this resistance, are, or were, the real villagers after all. What happened that had you hiding underground like this?"

"Once upon a time, we were, yes. That has not been the case for a long while now. A few years after vanishing, the cult returned stronger than ever. Attacks and kidnappings started again. This time, perpetrated not only by men but by some of the creatures you've seen. As our numbers dwindled, theirs grew. Eventually, we had to retreat into the cave system to survive, just as the sect rose from it."

"Not all of you though." Sonja remarked.

"If you refer to Eren, he's not one of us."

"What then..."

"He's a product of one of their early experiments in trying to birth their God. The uncertainty of his heritage was enough that he was allowed to live, as killing one another is as much a sin in their religion, as suicide is to most others."

"Is that's the case, why would the boy help you then? Why would he help me?"

"His existence is tolerated at best. I'm sure you've seen how he was treated back at the village. With us, he at least has the chance of a life. I won't lie, we do owe him much. His feeding us information has saved many of our lives over the years. As for helping you, he believes, as do I, that you may help us turn the tides."

"How so?"

"The reason we and the cultists have not managed to wipe one another out completely, either now, or before, is because neither group has enough numbers to cover much of the dale, the mountains, or the cave system. We'd need to spread ourselves too thin to do so. As such, it would be possible, for a small unit, or maybe a particularly capable individual, to wage a war of attrition, with quick and precise strikes, going in and out before the enemy could react."

Sonja frowned. "Ain't that a foolhardy idea?"

"Is it? How to fight otherwise? Think about it, if you had to rescue someone else in your previous position, how would you do it?"

The redhead grinned. "With a small team. In and out quick. Yeah, you have a point. So why not do that already then?"

"Our most capable were the first to be targeted. We're not warriors here. Under different circumstances, we would have been the ones to hire you to come here."

"That begs the question, why don't you leave?"

"Aside from the desire to fight for our lands and get back at the monsters who killed our loved ones? The one and only entrance and exit to the valley is heavily watched, and our enemies would not risk anyone slipping out and coming back with help."

"If all you said to me so far is true, I'm hardly the first woman to be subject of..." Sonja halted, clenching her jaw in anger for a second. "Are there any others currently trapped? How many have you rescued thus far?"

Emese looked down at the floor. "Maybe there are others in captivity now, but I fear they're beyond help. You're the first ever to be recovered."

Red Sonja's next question concerned the madness of sending a young boy, all by himself, to accomplish such a mission, but the old woman's last reply hinted at the answer. "I'm the first one you ever tried to rescue! And the idea wasn't yours, was it?"

"Indeed it wasn't. Eren became obsessed with you when he heard you had killed four monster soldiers, during an ambush, no less. No warrior before had done more than wound a single one of those. Having the boy as an agent among the enemy was much too valuable though, the risk was too great. In the end, he decided to act by himself. Fortunately, he succeeded, only now, given his betrayal, he can never go back." 

There was a mixture of disgust with these people's cowardice and fondness for the pale boy's bravery consuming the female warrior. For the sake of the latter, she contained her reaction. "Where is Eren anyway?" Sonja asked, wanting to end this conversation before her temper got the best of her.

"He's helping with hunting for food. It has to be done stealthily, so it takes a while. I expect he'll be back by tomorrow."

"So now you want my help, for what he did for me?" Sonja asked in a harsh tone, standing.

The old woman was taken aback by the mere implication that the redhead might not be willing to help. "I..."

"Shut up!" Red Sonja interjected. "I'll help, if only to get revenge! But you do as I say!"

Emese nodded.

"First off, bring me some leather and chainmail. I need better clothing. Also, a thick, warm cloak with a hood, and some boots. I'm gonna have a look around and get back to you. Some of the things you said might be of some help already." She moved towards the tent's exit. "Also, I expect a sharp sword and dagger, by the time I'm back." The final word given, Sonja left the old woman alone.

Walking through the camp, the red-headed warrior moved in silence, doing little to acknowledge those who looked at her with curiosity and less to appear approachable. Bundled closely, the campsite housed several dozen tents, and maybe a few hundred people. The old woman was right though, very few here looked fit for fighting, though at the least, they all looked human.

The larger cavern was incredibly vast; Spanning no less than half a mile from wall to wall, in any direction, speckled only by the occasional pillar of merged stalactite and stalagmite; the ceiling itself varying greatly in height. If the camp was near one wall, to the opposite side of it, there was a great lake, sprouting from, and into, the rocks around its extremities. Following the edge by the water, Sonja walked a while, right up until reaching a soft slope, under a lower section of ceiling, which eventually met the wall, in a nook. "Hum..." She grinned, looking back at the lights of the fires made by the temporary encampment-village, far away. "This looks good enough." After threading back, she was quick to locate Emese among the villagers. "Come on." She called.

"I'm sorry, I don't have all you asked for gathered yet..."

"Yeah, yeah." The redhead handwaved. "Alright, get all the stuff I asked, but also I'm gonna need a few more things."

"Certainly, if we can provide it."

"First, I need you to bring me, or make me as much of a map for the valley and the caves as you can."

"We'll only have bits and pieces..."

"However much you can, do it. Second, See the corner by the lake up there?" Sonja pointed.

"Yes." Emese replied, puzzled.

"I want you to take my tent and set it up there, table and all; A larger one, if you have it. Deliver everything else I asked there."

"Why..."

"You want my help or not? I need room and time to think. If I can figure where and how to strike..."

"Very well." The old woman bowed.

"One last thing."

"Yes?"

"Have Eren meet me in my tent when he arrives."

...

********* 

After her dwelling had been put in place, Sonja neglected the scraps of maps she was handled, instead opting to bathe herself in the nearby lake, over and over. She never quite felt completely clean though. Always, there was something amiss, always the sensation that more scrubbing was required; memories of the days gone by still lingering.

Wrapped in her cloak, Red Sonja waited inside the tent, peering at the crude drawings atop the table for the first time. The floor itself had been coated with leather, furs, and cloths, rendering the new pair of boots unneeded inside the fabric canopy. To a side, against a wall, a much thicker pile of layers made the bed.

While trying to make heads or tails from the pictures, Sonja saw the cloth moving, being pushed aside by a fair, bluish hand. A moment later, Eren's head popped in. "Hello?"

"Took your time, did you?" The redhead said.

"I..."

"Nevermind." She looked at the boy. His face was covered with dirt. "Wash yourself in the lake before you come in." She told him, pointing.

"It's cold."

"Don't worry about that. I need to talk to you. Go on. I'm waiting."

Quietly, the boy vanished behind the canvas, only to re-emerge a few minutes later, shivering.

"That's better." Sonja said, looking down at him. "Now come in. Don't let the heat out; There's no fire in here."

"Y… Yes." He replied, making sure to seal the entrance behind him.

"Right." The redhead continued. "Answer me this now. When we were running through the forest, you seemed to be able to navigate without difficulty." She pointed at the pictures on the table. "Could you help me improve those? Make them easier to read? To the point where we might speculate on the locations of things not marked?"

"Maybe." Eren said, examining the drawings. "I can fill some gaps, but I don't know if it will be enough to do what you said. I'm going to need a..."

"So yes? You can add some information to what we have there?"

"Well… Yeah. A little, at least. But it will take..."

"Good enough!" Sonja interjected. "Now, forget about them maps for a while. You and I have some unfinished business we need to take care of." She said, grinning.

"Unfinished?" Eren looked up at the red-haired woman, confused.

Facing the boy directly, Sonja placed a hand on her waist, allowing her cloak to open, enough to reveal that it was the only thing she wore! "If you don't want it..." She bit her lip, looking at the growing bulge manifest under his ragged pants.

"No, I… I..."

Moving her other hand, Sonja unclasped the mantle from around her neck, allowing it to fall to the ground. "Cold in here. Can you help me with that, or not?" She smiled again.

Eren looked at the nude woman with paralyzing awe! In spite of the time they were jailed together, for all the intimacy they shared, he had never allowed himself to see her so freely, just as she had never let herself be exposed in the same manner! She was tall, tanned, with powerfully crafted muscles, yet her curves were bountiful! Large breasts adorned by reddish, swollen nipples, down to a slim midsection, followed by wide hips, and powerful buttocks and legs! Her wild, wavy red hair was perfectly complemented by bright green eyes, just as it did a small patch of similarly hued pubic hair, which shone with moist!

"Are you just gonna stare?" The warrior-woman asked, amused.

"I..." As if realizing for the first time how his body reacted to her, Eren tried in vain to hide his erection, pushing it down with both hands, turning his hips away.

"I guess he needs some encouragement." Sonja thought. "Here." She approached, pulling his shirt over his head. "Now, let's see what you got for me under there." She pointed at his pants, taking a few steps back, as to sit on the bed, legs spread apart.

"I'm… Ashamed." He whispered, looking down.

"Ashamed?!" The redhead snorted. "Alright. I'll make you a deal. You look at me in the eye and tell me you didn't wanna stick it inside me, and we'll never speak of this again." She licked her teeth, spreading her fuzzy vaginal lips apart with two fingers. "Otherwise..."

Eren looked at the woman, still frozen for a second. For a moment, Sonja thought he might actually refuse her. But then he turned, undoing his pants, letting it fall to the floor much like she did with her cloak.

"What the devil?!" Red Sonja gasped, realizing she'd never actually seen the boy's cock before.

The organ stood proudly, pointing upwards at an angle! Tumescent with blood, it glowed red and purple, contrasting with the boy's pale blue skin. Oblong shaped, the shaft was fat and uneven, covered in bumps, and thick, swollen veins, like a tree trunk, smothered with liana! The texture also, was a contrast to the young man's otherwise perfectly smooth skin. At its tip, crowned a pendulous glans, which had the polished appearance, and size, of a small apple!

Eren was easily a foot shorter than her, and in spite of his evident fitness, he surely weighed under a hundred pounds, soaking wet. Moreover, she'd be surprised if he'd seen more than a couple of summers past half a score. Yet, his phallus was easily larger than that of any man she'd ever seen, or credibly heard of! As a whole, the organ looked as grotesque as the boy looked winsome; making for a strangely enticing combination! "This will do just fine!" Sonja thought, grabbing at his erection, pulling it towards her mouth!

Eren was the one to gasp this time, feeling the woman's warm lips around his cock, slobbering saliva all over it, while she noisily sucked and licked up and down!

"Easy there!" Red Sonja said, feeling him twitch. "It's not in my mouth I want to feel you blowing your load." She fondled his balls, which matched the member in size and appearance, nibbling at his glans. "Lay down!" Running her hands over his chest, Sonja directed Eren to lie on his back, impressed and entertained to see how much in a perfect vertical his huge erection stood, eagerly waiting for her.

"Ow!" He said when the woman flicked his penis.

"Nice and stiff!" Sonja smiled, positioning herself to straddle the boy, bemused that his expression remained one of awe. "There's still time to give up if you want." She teased. He shook his head desperately in response. "Oh, so you do want to stick that ugly cock inside me?" He blushed. She pressed her vaginal lips against his tip, spreading them. "Aah!" Sonja moaned, descending against his length, 'til her moist, reddish pubic hair laid pressed over his smooth skin!

Eren gritted his teeth, watching amazed while his shaft disappeared inside the beautiful redheaded woman! The sensation was beyond anything he could have imagined! Warm, moist, and so very tight! Her flesh periodically squeezing him in twitches all the way down!

"Damn, he's a big one! I think I can feel every vein and every bump!" Sonja thought, closing her eyes. "I'm gonna need a few seconds to breathe here." Reaching for his face, she pulled him, landing a deep kiss on his lips! "This oughta do it!"

For the better part of the next minute, the red-headed warrior wrestled with the boy's tongue, tasting him truly for the first time, now that there was no imminent danger, no dark cloud about them! Little by little, her sex adapted to his, growing wet by the second. Amazingly, with the exception of the equine beast who violated her, Eren was easily the most exerting penetration Sonja had ever experienced!

"So, how does it feel?" Sonja asked, pulling back, locking eyes with the boy, foreheads pressed together.

"It's… Amazing!" Eren replied, squeezing both her breasts against one another, sucking on both nipples at the same time.

"Ah! Looks like you can use that mouth of yours pretty well! I hope it's not all you can use well!" Sonja pushed the boy back, forcing him to lay down again! "Just relax and let me take care of things!" She said, barely able to contain her moaning as she raised her body by the knees slightly.

What should have begun slowly, escalated to extremes immediately, so consumed with desire was the woman! No more than a few up and down motions and she lost herself! Like a wild beast, she rode the boy's monstrous cock! Screaming madly, thinking of nothing but the incoming orgasm, born out of the freedom and choice involved in this encounter, which started to build up from the very first time she'd moved!

"Ah! Ugh! Gah! Aaaaahh!" Soon enough, Sonja exploded in a climax over Eren, squirting her lubricants all over his chest and legs! Losing strength, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his head, playing with his hair, while he fondled and sucked on her breasts again! Her hips, however, never stopped moving, maintaining that same frantic up and down cadence, while she moaned with her face pressed against his ear!

Both of them felt each other's sexual organs snatching and jerking, in response to that enduring motion! Just as Sonja reached her second climax, the boy burst inside her, in a rush of hot semen, so excessive, it oozed and frothed between them! She bit his lobule, tracing a tong over the pointy shape of his ear, panting deafeningly into it! He, in turn, grabbed at her buttocks, clenching his teeth, thrusting up to meet her hips, while the last drop of seed was gleefully milked from him!

This was it! The last bit of scrubbing Sonja had been in desperate need of, to feel herself cleansed from the horrors that came before! Finally! The boy's touch, his member inside her, and now his seed, all washing away the last remnants of defilement. As the euphoria of climax waned, she realized not only how much she needed this, but also, how much she had wanted it! "Hah… hah… How about this? How did it feel?" She asked, catching her breath, grinning, meeting his eyes again.

"A… Awesome!" Eren replied, his chest heaving up and down.

"You are... An odd one." Sonja raised her body again, looking down at the boy, fondly massaging his pointy ears under his pitch-black hair, looking curiously at his light blue skin and amber-brown eyes. "No way he's related to those monsters!" She thought, observing his fairy-like perfect features. "He'll be a ladykiller someday! Heh... The hell am I saying?! He's one right now!" She considered, realizing the boy still had a forearm worth of hard cock inside her! "Am I reading this right?" She asked him, feeling the member inside stretching her as much as it ever did. "You can still keep going?" 

Eren nodded. "Y… Yeah!"

Sonja leaned in for another kiss, rolling over the bed to lay on her back, her legs wrapping around the boy. "Then you keep going 'til you can't anymore!" She said, caressing the contour of his shapely ass. "You give me all you got!"

Frantically, Eren began to hump, fucking the female warrior in an unversed, though certainly not ineffective manner! The uneven shape of his cock was more than enough to stimulate her right back into the path of pleasure again!

Before long, Sonja squirmed with another orgasm! Raking the boy's back with her nails, though he neither stopped nor slowed! "Gah! Ahh..." She shouted and moaned, shaking her head from side to side!

Mesmerized by the movements of her breasts, Eren leaned against her body, nibbling and sucking on her nipples, whilst keeping the pace of his thrusts!

"Ow! You enjoy my tits, don't you? Go on and enjoy them! Just don't stop fucking!" She screamed.

Eren barely heard the woman, though he complied nonetheless!

Once again, Sonja screamed in climax! Spreading her legs, Pulling her lover in by the buttocks; Her back arching while he grabbed at her breasts like reins, for support to his sustained humping!

Feeling the redhead's sex clamping around him, Eren knew he could not last much longer! Letting go from her chest, he fell atop her, holding her tight, while she hugged him back with matching despair! Together, screaming, panting, and moaning; They raced and eased each other into one last, congruous orgasm; her vaginal muscles squeezing harder than ever, while he filled her with gush upon gush of his warm seed!

Finally, the couple stopped, exhausted, matching each other's deep breaths. While the boy lay limp over her, Sonja grabbed his face with both hands, kissing him again, rolling to the side to reach for a blanket and cover them both, as they held each other waiting for sleep. "This was amazing!" She whispered in his ear, kissing his forehead, playing with the softening, moist phallus fresh out of her.

Eren leaned to fit his head under her chin, holding her by the bottom, forcing their hips to press together, facing each other. Closing his eyes, along with the redheaded woman-warrior, he let himself drift.

The period of slumber that followed was one of peace; The first for Sonja and the boy, after many nights of comparative agony. She dreamt of flying, of leaving this valley behind, smiling as she felt the wind on her face, while she soared past the green mountain peaks. Once she woke, she felt rested, energized; verily back to being herself, and ready to face the challenges ahead.

Seeing that she was alone among the pelts and furs, Sonja observed that Eren was already up, peering at the papers on the table, still undressed. Her personality restored, she could not help but to tease him some, as mean spirited as it would be. "Morning." She said, sitting to put on her boots. "You woke up early."

"Yes." Eren turned to the woman. "I'm not used to sleeping much. Though I..."

"Well, yesterday was incredible, but I should get going."

"Going? Going where?" The boy asked, perplexed.

"Away, of course. There's nothing else for me here."

"But… You… You won't help us? With the monsters?"

"Not unless you can pay. I am a sword for hire, after all." Red Sonja grinned, fastening her cloak around her neck.

"But…" Eren looked around, puzzled, growing restless. "We can't. We don't have money."

"I take other valuables, if you have them." The redhead said, looking directly at the boy, halting her process of getting dressed, having intentionally left her chest and groin for last.

"Maybe after, you can have..."

"Oh no. I get paid upfront."

"We don't have anything to offer." Eren said, almost crying.

"You sure? Nothing? For me to stay there has to be something worth my while." Sonja leaned back, casually, moving her legs apart, only slightly. Just enough to expose the pink slit between her furry red mounds.

Maybe Eren did not catch the implication on a rational level, but he certainly did it on an instinctual one. With two steps forward, he raised one of the woman's thighs, arms wrapped around it. Below, his fully swollen member already aimed true! All the while, the woman offered no resistance to any of his actions.

"Ooh! That is one hard bargain you drive there! See now?" Sonja smiled, looking at the imminent meeting of their sexual organs. "I knew you had a knack for haggling."

02 - "ENGAGEMENT I"

"So, any ideas?" Emese asked while she and the red-haired warrior stood around the table, peering down at the map, and its many addendums of scattered scraps of paper.

"Not sure. What's this blot over here?" Sonja pointed.

"The lake." Eren, who sat on a stool by the side replied.

"Sigh… I don't know." The female fighter continued. "I figured once I had a better view of the valley I could use it to pinpoint strategic points. Find out vulnerable spots. You mentioned shrines or something."

"Yes."

"Well, the locations for the villages, the mountain I was held, and everything else indicated here don't really help in guessing where anything else might be."

"So, we're back where we started?"

"Not necessarily. This map aside, we know a few things, which may help us knowing a few things more."

"Such as?"

"We can strike one of the villages. Gather information that way."

"If you're suggesting taking captives, it will do us no good. Remember what I said, our enemy is a hive in servitude of a larger entity. Even torture won't turn any of them against the rest. They may have individual minds, but they're still pieces of a collective whole, and that is where their ultimate allegiance will always lie."

"That may be true." Sonja replied. "But it doesn't make going for the right targets any less effective. Part of a larger whole or not, there's still an important hierarchy there."

"Meaning?"

"Those big, ugly gorillas, they're not quite animals, but they're not far off either. They fight and follow orders. The villagers, on the other hand, operate much like people, doing the thinking and giving those orders, but even they alone, have clear leaders."

"Yes. Soldiers and workers, we usually call them. Among others, of course."

"So you see, we don't need to fight the whole. We take out the heart and head, so to speak."

"Easy to say, hard to do. There won't be a free path to those."

"I never expected there to be. But if we use stealth and precision, it's doable."

"What's your proposition?"

Sonja pointed at the largest village, then at the swamp. "First, we stick to what we know. A precision strike in the main village. Then, take control of the way in and out of the valley."

"Are you insane?" The old woman protested. "Since your escape, there are patrols all around..."

"Which is good." Sonja interjected. "You had the right idea from the start. Guerrilla strikes are the way to go. If we tried a larger assault, the enemy could just gather their forces and beat us with numbers. But by moving swiftly, and striking quietly, they're compelled to spread, in the attempt to see attacks coming; Without the element of surprise on their side, I can take small groups in a fight, no problem!"

"Small groups, maybe." Emese replied. "But once they realize what you're doing, they'll just bundle in larger forces to defend… Wait… That's your plan, isn't it?"

The redhead smiled. "Well, if I can't make them tell me where to attack, I can try to force the information out of them by interpreting their actions."

Laughing, the old woman looked at Eren. "I guess I owe you an apology. You made the right call in rescuing this one."

"Yes." The boy blushed.

"What of the valley entrance?" Emese inquired. "Why focus there early on? It's heavily guarded."

"If nothing else, the only way in or out is immensely important, strategically speaking. Even if we don't have the numbers to take control of it, or if we can't cleave a way out, we should still be able to prevent anyone from coming in."

"So they can't replace their numbers."

"Right. Then there's one last thing."

"What?"

"To the extent that you can do it safely, I want you to have scouts watching every farmland in the valley. Don't do anything just yet; Just watch them."

"Why?"

"Just do it, as secretly as possible. I'll let you know why when the time comes."

"Very well." The old woman nodded. "What will you do now?"

"Prepare. I'm going inside the main village as soon as possible. I made the Prefect a promise, and I mean to keep it!"

"Don't be rash and go searching for revenge..."

"Revenge? That's just a perk." Sonja grinned, examining her new dagger. "No. The main village is the best target. Eren knows how to get to and from it fast and hidden, and he knows the place well. It will be in and out with calculated precision." She turned towards the boy. "Speaking of which, he'll be helping me going over the details for the rest of the day. I ask you, don't interrupt us."

Emese scowled, looking at the blushing, pale young man. "As you say. I'll leave you to it then."

*********

"Oh! That hit the spot!" Sonja beamed, moaning on all fours, while Eren penetrated her from behind! "No need to be a gentleman. Go as hard as you want!" She said, staring at her dangling red hair swing back and forth with the humping motions. "Ah! Yes!"

"Y… Yes!" Eren mumbled, short of breath.

"So… Ah! You can… Hah! You can help me go through the forest at night? Gods! To… To and from the… Ah! The main village?"

"I… I can!" The boy struggled to think, let alone reply, but the woman had insisted their conversation and planning take place like this. He did not complain.

"Oh yeah! Keep going like that! Ohh! Hah… What about… Ah… The wall?"

"Rope… Huh… We need rope!" He moved his grip from her waist to her buttocks. "I can… Go over unseen. Tie… Both ends, then you..."

Free from his grasp, Sonja began to move her hips, matching his motions, feeling his balls slapping against her pubic hair with each thrust. "What ab… Gah! About weapons? Hah… Hah, ah!"

Leaning forward over the woman, Eren grabbed her breasts, whispering in her ear. "The Mayor's house may have some. Huh! The… Huh! There's the armory… Huh… I'm about to..."

"Ah! That's alright! Me… Ahh! Me too! Keep going! Let's do it together!"

*********

"Is that all you need?" Emese asked.

"Rope, the boy, and two good men." Sonja looked at the small entourage she'd selected. "If all goes well, that's all I'll be needing. What about you? All set for tomorrow?"

"Yes." The old woman replied, firmly. "I have scouts ready to watch the farms, as you requested, and just as many collecting information in the marshlands."

"Alright. We'll handle those when the time comes. For now, it's my turn to act. You checked all your weapons and armor?" She addressed the male trio in front of her.

They each straightened their gambesons and cloaks, then double-checked their daggers; Eren showcased a small, loaded crossbow, and the men their freshly sharpened swords. Looking at each other, they all reaffirmed their resolute drive.

"Enough delay then. Cover your faces in coal dust like I showed you, and keep very alert and quiet." Sonja declared. She addressed the pale boy, specifically. "Enough talk. Lead the way."

... 

The path out of the caves and into the forest was a lengthy one, but the night was young, and there was more than enough time to move out and return, should it all proceed as planned.

As if he could see in the dark, Eren guided the small entourage with incredible sureness. The way chosen even containing pre-planned hiding places, should the need arise. As the group walked close to the mountains, the ground made largely of rock and moss made it so they could travel with little noise. Little more than an hour after exiting the underground, Red Sonja could already tell by the nature of the terrain, that the village was near.

"Alright." Sonja said, lowering her voice. "Once we reach the point near the moat we talked about, you two..." She designated the men. "Stand guard under the trees. Eren goes in and out, tying the rope so I can get through, then you protect him while I go in."

"You plan to go alone?!" One of the men protested. "I thought we..."

"No! I can be faster and am in less of a risk of being seen if I'm by myself."

"So we're here just to guard the boy?"

"For now, yes. Only, if I can retrieve weapons, and other valuables, you also help me carry it back."

"I should go in too." Eren said. "You'll find things faster with me there."

"Maybe. We'll see when we get there. For now, no arguing. Stick to the plan!"

The final approach towards the place where the town walls met the rocky mountains was made much more slowly, much more carefully than the hike prior to it. Whether the villagers had an unreasonable amount of faith in the ability of the town's layers of defense, or if they simply never expected a strike like this, mattered little; what mattered was that there appeared to be no extra defensive measures in place, since any in the infamous she-devil crew last left it.

"Here we are." Eren said, pointing at the cliff. "That's where I can cross over the wall."

"Can you really get the rope over, in a way I'll be able to get in?" Sonja asked, remarking how someone of her size would never be able to do the same only by climbing.

"Yes. Tie it to this branch up here." The boy pointed at the tree top above. "I'll go over and tie the other end to one of the support beams of the nearest building."

"Alright, do it." Sonja said, slapping the young man's behind as he went. She then looked back at the two men accompanying them. "Stay here and keep watch. Once Eren returns, I'll go in and try to get back as fast as possible. If you find yourselves under attack, take the boy and go back to the camp."

"What about you?"

"Never mind me. Just follow my orders. Given our position, you'll be able to see anyone coming at you from the south. Scurrying back into the woods should provide with enough cover and room to escape, if you do it quickly."

The men looked at one another. "Fine. But be careful. If you get captured… Look, here he comes." One of the men pointed up at the pale boy who reappeared from the other side of the wall; the rope now firmly stretched over it.

"I should stay on top of the wall." Eren said, running back to meet his companions. "I'll have a better view of anything coming, and when you get back, I can go in and retrieve the rope, after you climb out."

"This is a one-time thing." Sonja replied. "We can't come back after tonight. It will be expected. Retrieving the rope is not important."

"It's still better if they don't know how we managed to go in and out."

"Sigh… Fine. But don't be an idiot. Any sign of danger, you flee."

"Of course." The boy lied. "Afterward, I can help you raid the armory too."

"Right. We'll see about that." Sonja said as she checked to see that her weapons and cloak were firmly fastened, before she tested the rope. "I should be back soon." She added, climbing up.

...

Inside, the village was dead silent. Red Sonja moved like a shadow, watching from the edge of every building corner for any sign of movement.

There was barely a light to be seen. Few houses showed any sign of life, and there appeared to be nobody outside. Could be, the defense strategy employed here was more along the lines of locking themselves up and waiting for the enemy forces to dry up. It was a feasible plan against the resistance made up of the original inhabitants of the valley, but against the she-devil with a sword, it would prove folly. If this group of cultists had been careless enough to not take any extra precautions against her, they'd regret it in short order!

The mayoral building was as quiet and as dark as the houses around it, safe for what appeared to be a faint candle light shining from deep inside one of the upper floor windows. Sonja rushed across the wide dirt road to lean against the door of the place she meant to enter. "Alright." She pulled her dagger from its sheath, skulking for a window which she could break the lock quietly. "Getting in will be easy, but doing it quietly..."

"Hey!"

Sonja turned, not only startled to hear the voice behind her, but furious to having recognized it!

"Use this." Eren pulled a set of metal tools from his pocket. "I can open the door without making noise."

"What are you doing here?!" The redhead whispered, fuming. "You sneaking, little..."

"I'm helping." The young man replied, fiddling with the lock. "There."

Looking between the boy and the open door, the female warrior was forced to think and act quickly. "Stay close! And you can expect to be punished later!" She said, entering the building, closing the unlocked door behind them.

"I should go to the library." Eren said, pointing to a particular door. "There might be something there that can help us."

"Alright. Let me check this floor first, then I'm going upstairs."

Once it was evident there was no chance the boy would unexpectedly run into anyone, he and the red-haired woman split up; the boy going for the books, and she for the man!

Upstairs, even the air itself felt warmer, an indication that no doubt, someone was around. Sonja lurked close to walls, prying doors open, just enough so she could peer inside, making sure the rooms were uninhabited. She feared no combatant, but loud noises which could attract the rest of the village would prove a problem. Eventually, there was nowhere else to look, but the one room from where light glowed. 

Through the thin gap in the doorway, she saw him! Fast asleep, the bearded man lay on a bed beside a lit lamp by a nearby table. Red Sonja was almost insulted at his arrogance, in his ability to sleep so peacefully like that, truly having taken no precautions to defend himself against her, after she escaped. It seemed as if, due to their success, Kohen and his peers had never really thought of her as anything more than a breeding vessel, after all. They never considered what she could, and would, do if unleashed against them. This would be their fatal mistake!

Checking to see that the door would open without noise, the red-headed woman stepped in, watching the man's chest inflating and deflating quietly, while he breathed. Looming over, she gave it a few more seconds, smirking down at her helpless prey. "Say good night, bastard!" She struck the man with a fist in the neck! A deliberate blow, just strong enough to prevent his ability to scream, without quite killing him.

Thrashing and gasping, Kohen awoke, clutching his throat desperately! Before he knew what was going on, he found himself pinned to the bed, the red-haired female warrior atop him, and a sharp dagger pressed against his face!

"Remember me?" Red Sonja asked, mocking the man's helplessness, as he once did hers.

Though his eyes showcased fear, he grinned. "You think you can kill me?" He spoke with a hoarse, gurgling voice; however much his wounded throat allowed.

"You? Why, yes! I will kill you. You and every one of your ilk!" She placed the dagger under his chin.

"If you think you can intimidate me, make me talk..."

"No. I don't want you to talk. I'm here to keep a promise!" Viciously, the she-devil let her blade slide!

Kohen squirmed in pain and despair, while the woman peeled the skin off his jaw, as one would do to an enemy's scalp, all the while restraining him with her superior strength! His inability to scream soon further increased when she shoved the fully torn fur into his gaping mouth, holding it there, by clasping a hand over his face! Only when he stopped resisting, did Red Sonja grant him mercy, opening his neck from side to side!

"Let's see how your people fare without a leader." Sonja spat, using the bed sheets to clean the blood on her. The Prefect was dead! Her mission was a success! At least the main goal of it. She had understood the villagers and monsters functioned in a top-down, organized fashion. Even if the freshly slain man was not the leader of them, there was little doubt he held an important position, at the least. Her larger foe was just dealt a heavy blow, and from now there would only be more to come!

...

Climbing down the stairs, the redheaded woman was met with the sight of her boyish companion struggling with a pile of books and scrolls. "What you got there?" She asked, sheathing her dagger.

"Maps, but also a lot of… I don't know exactly. I think these are religious texts or something. There may be important information there. It's worth taking these books, I think."

"You may be right. We can't carry them like that though. Wait here, I'll get some sheets, and we can make a sack." Sonja said, doubling back up the stairs.

Ignoring the blood, the warrior-woman raided the former magistrate's bed, taking the time to look around the room, to see if there might be anything else useful there. While not much could be found, she did spot a metallic mirror mounted on a wall, which immediately gave her an amusing idea. Smiling, Sonja took it along, hurrying back to the lower floor. "Here." She told Eren, placing the cloth, then the mirror atop it on the floor. "Pile everything up over this."

"A mirror?"

"For support."

Without argument, the boy followed the woman's instructions. Before long, they were ready to leave.

"I don't think there are any weapons in this building. Let's get this back over the wall, then we'll see about looking at the armory." Sonja said, handing the sack for the boy to carry. "Sorry, but you have to take this. I need to be ready to fight at all times."

Nodding, Eren followed her out the door.

The business of taking the books back was simple enough. Once the couple reached the top of the wall, the boy could just hold on to the sheets and use them to slide along the rope over the moat and to the outside, where the men keeping guard waited for him. In only a few minutes, the intrepid duo was together inside the walls again, ready for the next part of their mission.

"Right, listen." Sonja whispered. "We go to the armory, and you open the door. When we're inside..." She Produced another sheet taken from the mayor's bed. "Start putting weapons here. As many as you can fit in a way we can still tie them in a bundle. But, this is important; focus on long range weapons and ammunition. Bows, slings, arrows, bolts, and so on."

"Alright." Eren nodded.

"Do this right, and I may not punish you as bad for disobeying, when we get back." She teased him, rubbing his head. "Quickly now!"

Lead by the boy, the couple moved with certainty and stealth, reaching their destination unseen, in but a few moments. The armory turned out to be little more than a glorified shack. On the one hand, it was disappointing to behold, on the other, there would be less of a worry about guards bing inside. 

With little difficulty, Eren picked the lock, and he and the woman quickly began to sift through the weaponry, filling the spread cloth on the floor with the best they could find. Going through the weapons with only the moonlight to help see proved difficult though; forcing the couple to spend more time at it than expected. When they finally tied the sackful of weapons, the female stood alert, having heard steps, just outside! 

"Shh!" Sonja placed a hand over Eren's mouth, listening. The sounds indicated the steps to be heavy. Whatever was outside, it was not one of the false villagers. What's worse, the weapons were too heavy for the boy to carry. If they were to escape, the path would have to be free! "Less than two hours and it will be day." She mused. "Even if we don't take the weapons, we need to get out of here fast!" Resigned to the possible necessity of fighting and running, Sonja walked to the door, peeking through the keyhole, trying to see who, or what was pacing out there. In a few seconds, she saw them! Two ape-like soldier creatures, casually walking back and forth, grunting to each other. It was time to make a decision! She pulled the boy to her, looking at the creatures, waiting for the right moment. "When I open the door, you run to the wall! I'm not joking this time! Do not disobey me!" She whispered.

Eren nodded.

"If I time it right, I can kill one before they can react!" Sonja thought, unsheathing her sword, looking through the keyhole. "The other won't be a problem, but once we start fighting, everyone will wake." She stared, waiting, biding her time. "I have to make it quick!" When she saw one of the beasts turn its back to the shack, she tugged on the boy's arm. "Now!"

Slamming the door opened, Red Sonja swung her blade wildly at the nearest monster! Before it could fully turn around to see what had made the noise, its head had already been parted from its body! The other creature screamed, lunging at the female out of sheer instinct, after a mere second of bafflement at the sight of its companion's rolling head!

Hopping back to a side, Sonja brought her sword down, crippling the beast's arm, whilst avoiding its attack!

Wildly, the monster thrashed with its other arm, only to lose a few fingers to the she-devil's parry! Before it could think to do anything else, the top of its skull was lay bare, by another swing of the redhead's blade!

It all happened in a rush! Two enemies dead! The boy running away at a distance! Lights popping up in windows! Expectedly, the commotion had been enough to shatter the woman's cover!

Taking the risk, Sonja lunged and grabbed the bundle of weapons, rushing after Eren, hoping she could reach the wall before entire groups of villagers started to leave their houses! Such was not a cargo meant to be transported at a speed though. She could run somewhat, but Sonja was still much hindered, considering that the original idea was for this weight to be divided among her crew when carrying it back!

Many heads popped from windows and doors, looking confused and scared, watching the red-haired woman run through the streets!

Sonja had been lucky thus far, none of the little men were brave enough to risk facing her in a fight. Only sooner or later, she knew arrows would start flying; an attack for which she would have no response! At the wall, Eren waited atop it, just ready to help, when she began to climb, struggling with the weight she carried! Together, they managed to slide down the rope, as the sounds of a mob started to build behind them!

"Hurry!" Sonja handed the pack to the men waiting for them, before turning to cut the rope! "Sorry Eren, but we won't be able to retrieve it." She said. "Now, get us out of here, before they open the gates!"

...

Fortunately, the boy delivered. The race back was frantic, but the group managed without problems, reaching the entrance to the underground before anyone, or anything, could follow.

"That was crazy!" One of the men said, breathing heavily. "I couldn't tell what was happening, but when I heard people shouting back there..."

"We did what we set out to do." Red Sonja said. "But from now on, the main village is out of bounds, and everywhere else is certain to have more security."

"Maybe, but with you on our side, I'm not that worried." The man replied, removing his helm to reveal a fair head of hair.

"I'm glad to hear you have some confidence in me, but I wouldn't be so happy. Could be, not that far from now, you'll have to do some fighting yourself."

"At least we are fighting back for a change." The fair-haired man replied, hugging the sack he carried. "And now, we've got some half-decent weapons to do it."

*********

"You took the books back to Emese?"

"Yes." Eren said, placing the newly acquired maps on the little table. "I told her about the Mayor, and what to do with the bows, like you asked. She said she'll see if there's anything there in the texts, and she'll let you know."

Sonja smiled. "That seems settled. Well then..." She raised her eyebrows. "You know the rules. No clothes in the tent when we're alone."

Timidly, the boy took off his shirt and dropped his pants, which thus far had done a remarkably poor job at hiding his already throbbing erection.

"What's that you have there?" Sonja asked, running a finger under his cock. "Are you expecting something to happen?"

"I..." Eren looked confused, certain that he'd get to spend another night having sex with the beautiful red-haired woman.

Red Sonja stood, removing her cloak, showing herself to be wearing nothing but boots and a leather and chainmail loincloth underneath. "There is the matter of your punishment." She said, pulling a strand of string from the side of her belt, causing the metal piece covering her privates to fall. "I wasn't kidding about that."

Eren was stunned to see that the woman's pubic hair was gone! Leaving behind only a small, trimmed triangular patch, pointing downward to her now completely exposed vaginal lips, which glistened, plump and damp!

"You like it?" She asked.

The boy nodded vigorously.

"You want a taste?"

"Yes!" Eren replied, wide-eyed.

"Well..." Sonja grabbed his member, pulling him towards her. "Maybe to tomorrow." She said, tying the string very tightly in a bow, around the base of his penis, pushing him down to lie on his back. "Today..." She pulled the mirror taken from the Mayor's house from under a pelt, placing it across the tent, to face the bed. "I get to have fun and watch myself getting stretched by that big meat stick!"

Eren reached for the string, seeking release from that uncomfortable constriction, but the woman slapped his hand away!

"No, no." Red Sonja scolded while positioning herself to be impaled. "You only get to squirt inside me again, after making me cum ten… Twelve times! That's your punishment, young man. "Aaaaahhh!" She moaned, lowering herself on his shaft! "Look at that! Look how wide you spread me!" She said, leaning back, watching the mirror, biting her lower lip. "Let me tell you, I won't be getting tired of that sight anytime soon. Now, let's put that big, bumpy cock to good work!"

03 - "ENGAGEMENT II"

"I'm here, what news you have for me?" Red Sonja asked, approaching.

"Have a seat." Emese suggested, pointing at a rock which had been placed as part of a circle, around a fire, built in the center of the camp. "Is the boy not with you?"

"He's cleaning up my tent." The redhead pointed back, making herself comfortable. "It's a little messy."

"Hum… Well, it doesn't matter. We have much to discuss."

"No unexpected bad news, I hope."

"I wouldn't say so. Your ideas appear to bear fruit. The week gone by has been productive. Though I believe it's time to decide our new strategies."

"Good. Go on."

"You brought the map?"

"Here it is." Sonja produced a scroll stolen from the deceased Prefect's house, days before.

"Have you studied it?"

"In the free time that I had, yes."

"I see… Right then, first off, news about the scouts overlooking the farms. Ever since your assault, all the villages are guarded and patrolled by a number of soldiers, but those will retreat into the villages and guard the houses during the night. Just like you requested, we've been taking notes of their schedules, and it all seems very consistent so far."

Red Sonja grinned. "Nice to hear. I do love a predictable enemy. What about the entrance to the valley?"

"Similarly, there's an increase in patrols there. They're more careful, more hidden, but we have the location of some of their lookouts."

"Perfect!" Sonja cheered, spreading the map in front of the old woman. "We're lucky this cult seems so unused to facing any real resistance. If all goes well, we'll be able to profit from their next mistakes."

"So you have an idea of what to do already?"

"Oh yes!" the redhead pointed at the map. "Have your men been training with the bows I brought back?"

"They have, why?"

"Look here." She pointed at two different entryways into the underground, one close to the center of the valley, one close to its entrance. "See these two caves? They lead to the first layer of the tunnel systems."

"Yes, what of it?"

"They lead to the same hall, which then leads to the lower levels. What I want you to do is, gather a third of your forces and set up camp in this hall."

"Dividing our forces? Why?"

"Order the scouts to start stealing food whenever they can, and also to start shooting at the lookouts in the entrance to the valley. Tell them to take no risks! To only act when they're certain of success!"

"I don't think it's time to start a fight. We're still far too outnumbered."

"That we are, but you do as I say and we won't remain for long. Instruct the scouts taking the food to only get back underground through here." She pointed at the center of the map. "And the ones striking the dale's entrance through here." She pointed at the southern cave.

"That goes directly against the idea of taking no risks. If we start acting too consistently like that, we're bound to be seen and found at some point. Survival in the valley for us has been entirely reliant on our ability to change and adapt, to be unpredictable."

"This isn't about surviving anymore. It's about fighting back. Which is why you wanted my help in the first place, no?"

"I suppose..."

"Don't you get it? I want you to be seen, to be followed." Sonja pointed at the map again. "Gather a third of your men in the hall, like I said. Have them well armed and ready. If the enemy starts to lack for food, it will grow desperate, and if it feels like it's losing control of a strategic point, it will also get desperate." She grinned again. "Desperate people act stupid. After taking enough blows, they won't think twice about trying to hit back. They'll follow whoever they find, whenever they find them, expecting to be taken to our headquarters. When they do..."

"We'll have armed men already waiting in position to greet them!"

"Took your time, but I knew you'd get there. Yeah, that's it." The redhead nodded.

"Simple, but effective."

"Those are often the best tactics."

Emese smiled. "I believe I can even improve your strategy a little."

"How so?"

"Well, as long as we're using arrows, I think I can fashion toxins from some of the local fungi. I studied poisons during my youth, when learning to be a healer. It's nothing particularly potent, nor fast acting, but it may increase our body count by one or two."

"Perfect. Do it!"

"Very well." The old woman nodded. "Now, with that settled, there's one other thing I wanted to discuss. I've been studying the books you brought me..."

"Go on."

"There's a lot of it I don't fully understand. Could be very important information, but I rather know more before saying anything. However, one thing I think I found, is the location of one of the three shrines."

"You sure? Can you confirm there are only three as well?"

"Yes, and yes, I can."

"Where?"

"Here." Emese pointed at a place southwest in the dale. "Where the swamp meets the lake. Used to be a hill, but I expect today it will be a small island."

"You're certain of this? Absolutely?"

"That the shrine is there? Yes. At least according to the books. As for what you'll find, or how best to get there… That's another subject of discussion entirely."

"I already had another excursion in mind. I was just waiting for you to give me the scouting reports to see if it was doable. I guess I'll have to plan for two."

"What are you talking about?"

"Another old friend I meant to visit. Like the last one."

"This isn't a time to settle personal vendettas."

"I disagree. It's the perfect time to do it. Sever and burn another head of this hydra. In any case, it will be at least a few more days before our strategies start to pay off and I mean to keep myself busy. Now, let's talk about how to move through that swamp."

...

*********

"I should go with you." Eren complained, yet again.

"I told you no!" Sonja replied, growing impatient. "You will guide me there and wait outside like I said you would! I'm not kidding. This time around, if you don't do as I order, you can forget about enjoying your time in my bed ever again!" She lied.

"But… I can… Alright." The boy said defeated, looking at the ground.

"Good. Are you ready? The sun has set outside, about an hour ago now. We better hurry."

"Yes." Eren raised the small crossbow kept at hand.

"Then let's do this!"

Once again, Red Sonja and her young companion rushed alone through the forest by night, only this time circumstances were much different. This time she was not running away, but on the hunt!

The path towards the mountain was not fully unhindered, however. Every once in a while there would be steps, forcing the woman and the boy to hide and wait for the ape-like creatures to pass. Fortunately, the way taken was one for which the possibility of running into patrols was an expected likelihood, and it did not lack in places to remain unseen. More than once, Red Sonja considered slaughtering the beasts, taking them by surprise, but doing so would be unwise unless she and the boy were already heading back. Maybe with luck, she'd run into the monsters again after accomplishing her goals. After reaching the foot of the hill, the climb ahead proved quite the stark contrast. It appeared as if the enemy only worried about the forest below, neglecting the mountains around it. All the better! Soon, Sonja and Eren reached the cave from whence they'd escaped many nights before, its entrance as dark as ever. Hiding behind a bush close to the gorge, the pair of them prepared for what would follow.

"Here you go." Sonja handed the pale boy a torch and flint. "You remember what to do?"

"Wait 'til I hear noises, then light the torch and set it on a stand halfway across the dark corridor."

"Don't play stupid. You know that's not what I'm asking."

Eren lowered his head. "Come back here and hide, after I set the torch. Don't go in after you."

"That's right!" Sonja replied, grabbing the boy's face with a hand, squeezing his cheeks. "Keep watch. I'll be right back." She leaned into him, landing a kiss on his lips, shoving her tongue into his mouth! "For luck." She said, pulling back from the surprised young man, a trail of drool still lingering between them. "All goes well, we'll celebrate later."

Before Eren could respond, the red-headed warrior stood, going for the cave, sword already in hand! Worried, he raised his crossbow, ready to protect her from anything unexpected, praying her strategies were correct.

Red Sonja walked forward, soon engulfed by complete darkness. Ironic, she considered, how this place where she'd been kept captive and humiliated was such a strategically perfect location for an attack, such as she planned. The nature of the caves making it so numbers would count for nothing against skill! For nights she dreamt of slaying the creatures who violated her, the warden who oversaw it all. Maybe those were not here, either way, anything unlucky enough to run into her now, would fall to her blade! Before reaching the end of the path, Sonja saw the rest of the way suddenly illuminated by the light of a fire ignited behind. The boy had done his job sooner than what she'd asked, but it should work out just as well. "Perfect!" She thought, looking ahead. 

Inside the dome-like room, cells remained empty, as was the narrow rim of the upper floor. Quickly, the red-haired warrior ran across, going for the only way to, or from the floor below, a narrow staircase carved out of the rock on the opposite side of the entryway. At this point, being seen was no longer an issue. Silently going down the steps, she reached the circular room wherein vile rituals were conducted; a place surrounded by passages leading to unknown depths inside the mountain. From here on, she should not move forward. Instead, Sonja banged her sword against the stone walls, hoping to attract the attention of whatever could hear the noises.

The first unfortunate creature was one of the so-called soldiers, whom the woman beheaded in a single surprise swipe, by jumping from behind the stairway! A second ape-like being spotted her, lunging, grunting! This one, she also took out of the fight in one move; only she did not kill it right away, instead dodging and spilling the monster's guts on the floor! The creature fell, screaming in pain and desperation, calling out for its companions. Precisely what the she-devil wanted!

No sooner had that happened, and the room was filled with a number of creatures, among which was Shamir, the warden! "You?!" He shouted, looking at the redheaded woman incredulously. "Get her!" He screamed, pointing!

Sonja retreated to the stairway again, waiting for her prey! In there, enemies would be forced to engage one at a time!

The soldiers came first! One after another falling to the precision of her sword, further encumbered by their size inside the narrow, rocky path! In a crude attempt to adapt, the sharp-toothed imp-like creatures began to crawl over the bodies, able to move more freely due to their small size. They proved no more resilient to steel, however! One by one, she cut them down! A frenzied struggle, the warden's screams echoing among bestial snarls! Slowly, Red Sonja stepped back, climbing the stairs, as she killed an incoming wave of fleshy monsters, her skin no less red than her hair at this point, so coated in the blood of her victims she was! The snake-spider thing came after the imps, attempting to overwhelm her by slithering over the aisle in a spiral, aided by its disgusting legs, coming at her from above! Jumping back and up a few steps in one hop, Sonja brought her blade down in a vertical, ending the creature's foul life!

At this point, retreat took the female warrior back to the rim of the upper floor, while more soldiers attempted to crawl over the pile of corpses, only to add to it! Eventually though, the creatures pierced though, pushing ahead, trying to catch her, forcing her to move back more and more, at least for a while! Only, the suspended walkway was also much too narrow, and it sustained the woman's upper hand, as she could now send enemies down by the side, which allowed her to hold position for a few moments more, still fighting one at a time!

A sudden burst launched several of the imp's bodies down when one of the bloated, bat-faced abominations managed to push its way up the stairs, charging the woman when the way towards her was free! Once more, Sonja had to move back while fighting, with this particular creature being too strong to kick down and too large to kill in one blow. Moreover, a second of its kind already stood behind it, ready to take its place, should its kin fall. 

At some point, the cuts were just too many. As it thrashed around, the giant monstrosity keeled over, waiting to die. Below, Shamir made the mistake of reminding the female warrior of his presence, while he shouted, placing himself in an open area for a better view of the fight happening above. In the seconds it took for the second bat-faced beast to hop over the body of its fallen brother, Sonja made the judgment! Pulling her dagger from her boot, she threw it at the warden, hitting him with precision in the eye, blade burying all the way to the hilt! The following second, as the man fell dead, she quickly retreated into the dark cave!

This time around, the beasts died, not one by one, but several at once, caught in the warrior's well-prepared trap! Halfway through the corridor, as the light form the dome-like structure faded and the one from the torch shone brighter, she turned around, to fight with a light to her back! Sonja had the full view of the situation, while the beasts that followed could only move about aimless, half-blind, their arms thrashing about, hoping to hit anything. All the while she dodged, cutting them down with fury and precision!

As the number of enemies appeared to dwindle, Sonja was still being pushed back. Soon, she'd reach the flame behind, at which point she'd have to turn and run, lest she become the one to be blinded by the fire! The second bat-faced beast finally crumbled, leaving only a handful of imps and apes left! In hindsight, she may indeed have rushed up here with a thirst for revenge. Though many creatures had fallen, there remained a very real risk of being overrun! "Eren, get ready to run!" She yelled.

Before long, bolts started to fly from behind her, as the boy shot his crossbow past her silhouette, against the creatures she fought, if with little precision. All the better, since lurching beasts would get in the way of their allies more effectively than dead ones. When the smallest opening showed, the redhead kicked the torch towards the monsters, turning and running to meet her companion.

"Go! Go!" Red Sonja shouted, pulling the boy by an arm when she reached him, as they both raced down the forest-covered mountain side!

While there wasn't much room between the woman and the boy, and the monsters chasing them, the pair could move about with much better knowledge of how to exploit the terrain to their advantage, inching ahead much more efficiently! Every once in a while, the redhead had to turn and swing her sword, but over the path to reach the forest below, enough of a distance between herself and the creatures was built, that she and her companion managed to slip into one of his known hiding places undetected!

"That was a rush!" Sonja whispered, looking at the monsters running past, whilst Eren and her hid inside a hollowed-out nook under a big tree's canopy of roots.

"How… How many..." The boy tried to catch his breath.

"Hey. It's alright, we're safe now." Sonja hugged him, trying to calm the young man down, realizing for the first time that crafty as he was, the boy was no warrior. None of the risks he'd taken before had involved a direct fight, and that decidedly overwhelmed him now. "I got maybe two dozen, between all types of them. Shamir too." She smiled.

"He's dead?" 

"And rotting! Now, calm down. I'm sorry about this, but at least I can make it up to you when we get back."

Eren's amber eyes lit up, shining with excitement. "Yeah?"

Red Sonja kissed the pale boy deeply once again, rubbing a hand over the bulge in his pants. "Get us back safely, and I'll show you!" She said, pressing her face to his.

...

*********

"Like this?" Sonja asked, spreading her legs, laying on her back over the pelts.

"Yeah!" Eren said, pressing the tip of his hard cock to her moist, pink lips.

"Aaah!" Sonja moaned when the boy penetrated her, leaning over her to grope and suck on her breasts. "You have quite a thing for my tits, don't you?" She said, hugging him, caressing his hair. "Oh!" She moaned again. "I can say the same about this cock! Dammit, I can't get enough of it! This might be the best deal I ever made! The kid's certainly good enough to be worth paying for!" She thought. "Ah! You… Oh! You did get us back safely after all. Enjoy yourself! Don't mind... I do the same. Ah!"

…

04 - "ENGAGEMENT III"

"Are you sure about this?"

"If I weren't, I wouldn't be coming with you." Emese told the redhead.

"Don't flatter yourself. You're only coming half way."

"All the same, it's more time than I've spent outside in years. In any case, to the north and east there's only the lake, and to our southeast, we have several layers of scouts in place. With you along, I feel it's safe to at least come up to the edge of the swamp."

"Look, I'm going during daytime..."

"Yes. I want to see the sun."

"You misunderstand me. I'm going during the daytime because I have to. Usually it's safer to move about in the dark, but in the swamp, I can't afford not to see anything coming for me. And with Eren not having that part of the valley mapped and marked, I can't even make use of him either."

"Hey! I can still find tracks and..." The boy protested.

"Quiet." Sonja said. "I told you, you can only come if you do as I say, and nothing else!"

"Fine." He pouted.

"As for you." The redhead looked at the old woman. "Come as you please, at your own risk. Either way, I'm leaving."

Summoning a small host of spearmen, Emese readied herself to go. "Take a couple of them with you when we part ways." She said.

"I may take you up on the offer." Sonja replied. "If they're willing." She addressed the men, who stood ready, showing themselves amenable to undertake any risk. "Now let's get going."

...

Most of the way was traveled in silence. Every member of this small entourage worried, always ready for the unexpected attack. From the time they left the underground, to the hours threading under the illuminated forest, there was a sense of foreboding, always joined by an effort not to make any noise.

"What do you think it looks like?" Red Sonja was the first to break the quiet, once everyone began to travel more at ease, reluctantly getting used to a building sense of safety.

"Excuse me?" Emese asked.

"This shrine. What am I looking for?"

"I can't say. I don't even know what it's used for, frankly. The books speak of things in such a way that it barely makes sense. All I can tell you is it exists, it's important for some reason, and I imagine you'll be able to tell what it is when you see it."

"And the elders care for it." Eren added.

"Right." The old woman agreed.

"If we can get another one of their leaders there, it will be a great thing. This cult we're fighting seems very reliant on a chain of command."

"My prayers are with you. Makes sense. You strike a man's heart, the arms stop moving. To the extent that I know, I believe the elders are the only remaining leaders."

"Let's hope you're right… Aw!"

Suddenly, as a breeze swept by, an overwhelming, unspeakable stench flooded the air!

"I know." Emese said, covering her mouth and nose. "Parts of the swamp have always smelled bad."

The old woman was wrong, Red Sonja could tell. This was not a scent that could be expected from a mire. No, The red-haired warrior knew this scent all too well; it was the smell of death, and rot! If this place had indeed always exuded as such, whatever lay ahead could not be good! "I think this is far enough. We should part ways." She said.

"The edge of the swamp is a quarter mile ahead. I'll go with you 'til there." Emese replied.

Upon arrival, the sight ahead was indeed an odd one. The precise place where the waters of the swamp and the lake met could be seen and drawn in a near-perfect line, with the black of the former suddenly contrasting against the clear blue of the latter. Likewise, the lake itself spanned a vast surface, all the way to the sides of the mountains far away. To the east it, stood a rim of green forest, while to the south, lay one of darkened waters and vegetation, dotted by countless small isles poking up from the still, black liquid.

"There's enough dry land that one can move through the marshes by foot." Emese remarked. "I recommend you stay close to the lake so that you can guide yourself with ease, but make sure to stay inside the flora enough that you can't be seen by someone looking from another margin."

"Can you estimate how long it would take us to reach the shrine?" Sonja asked.

"Maybe between two and three hours, based on the fact you can't move all that fast."

"Alright. So in twelve hours at most, we should be back at the camp. Who's with me?"

Two of the spearmen stepped forward.

"Any chance you can spare a lookout? Stay around this region, if anything shows up north of here, light a smoke signal, or something?"

"I'll do it." Another spearman stepped forward. "I'm not much of a fighter, but that I can do."

"Right. Let's get going then."

"Good luck." Emese said, preparing to leave, while the red-haired warrior and her companions stepped into the swamp.

...

Once more, the trip was marked by dead silence, while the quartet did its best to advance in complete stealth. From then on, they moved into, and through the unknown!

"Weird..." Eren whispered, nearly two hours after the group entered the swamp; the first word uttered by any of them.

"What?" One of the spearmen asked.

"We've been walking to this shrine for hours, and I haven't seen any sign of tracks, or any other activity so far."

"So? Maybe the cult members just get to it from some other way."

"Maybe, but all the villages are either north or east of here. This would be the quickest way for any of them."

"Not really." Sonja chimed in, pointing northward. "Not if they don't come by land."

"Oh… Then, how do we know we can reach..."

"We don't. But if that's the case, we can still gather more information, come back better prepared some other time. We are getting closer either way."

"How do you know?"

"The stench is getting stronger. Now, keep quiet. We're at least two thirds of the way there already. Keep your weapons at hand."

Not too long after their brief exchange, the group reached a tall, treeless hill, creating a clearing right by the point where the lake and the swamp would meet. Circling it in silence, they could see that it lay isolated, with no paths, nor tracks around it; It appeared as if the place was indeed only ever accessed by boat, if at all. What rested atop it was still a mystery, but it was the only thing left to see.

"Stay down here. I'll have a quick look." Red Sonja said, waving a hand for the trio behind her to crouch and hide between some bushes, and the tall grass which covered the otherwise naked hill ahead. Stooping, she climbing the slope, hoping to be able to see whatever was on that mound without being detected. Nothing but the wind rushing through the leaves made any sound, and the one sense that could thus far detect anything amiss was the one who smelled that horrendous scent of death!

Poking her head past the vegetation to look at what was there to see at the top of the hill, the red-haired warrior quickly remarked that there was no activity up there. Cautiously, she allowed herself to stand, for a better look.

The hilltop was flattened and wide. Over it, a smooth, perfectly round stone platform was built, some hundred feet wide, side to side. At the center, there was an enormous hole, maybe a third of the width worth of the platform itself. To the north, stood a small wooden shack. Obviously, a much more recent construct, from whence small wisps of smoke would rise. 

Behind her, Sonja saw Eren and the two men climbing up, reassured by her ability to stand there. "The hell is this place?!" One of the men asked when he approached.

"Think there's anyone in the shack?" The other spearman added.

"There's smoke coming out. I think so." Sonja replied. "The place is too small though. Can't be more than two or three people there."

"Should we..."

"Yeah, it's worth a look."

Hopping onto the platform, the group then moved swiftly over it, around the pit in the center; Though nothing could have prepared them for the smell! The hole descended in a shaft of equally constructed and smoothed out stone; Only it went so deep as to appear bottomless. From it, there came that foul scent of rot! It could only be guessed as to what it was in there that managed to smell so strongly whilst appearing to be so deep.

"What the..." One spearmen said, trying to look down, covering his nose and mouth.

"Leave it. Focus!" Sonja said, pointing at the little cabin. "Eren, go over there, across the hole. Stand there, in the open, right ahead of the door." She told the boy. "You two, hide by that side." She told the men, stepping herself to hide by the other side of the hut. Once everyone was in position, she tapped at the wooden door with her sword.

The entrance swung open, with a large ape-like monstrosity stepping out, ready for a fight! The first thing it saw was the pale boy just standing there, across the platform, to the other side of the pit. The few seconds of confusion at that sight was enough for the red-haired woman to take its head!

"What's going on..." A voice echoed from the cabin, halting at the sight of the fallen beast!

"Hello." Red Sonja said, stepping over the headless creature, to drag the old man from inside the hut.

"You?!" Abimelech roared, being thrown outside, to the stone ground.

"Miss Sonja!" The spearmen shouted, looking down from the northern edge of the platform. "We… There's something coming!"

"Hah!" The elder laughed. "You'll regret coming here!"

The woman's response was to silently sever the old man's tendons at the heels, rendering him immobile, before rushing towards the spearmen. "What is it?!"

Freshly out of the lake, the three tentacled abominations crawled, slithering their way up the hill, their frog-like faces grinning odiously!

Rushing, Sonja yanked a spear from one of the men's hand, throwing it like a javelin to hit one of the creatures straight in the head, killing it instantly! This did not seem to faze the others, who slithered on, quickly reaching the platform!

The two men engaged against one of the beasts, while Red Sonja tangled with the other! The creatures' slippery skin soon proved particularly hard to cut!

From a distance, Eren managed to hit the monsters with his crossbow, though he still dared not approach! Almost in tandem, the redhead stabbed a creature in the eye, while the two men managed to skewer the one trying to attack them with their remaining weapon! Though the fight was won, all of them had been bitten and scratched before dispatching their adversary, the female most of all. By the end of it, as she turned around, Red Sonja saw that Abimelech had been crawling towards the pit whilst the struggle ensued. She ran, but before she could reach him, the old man looked up at her, smiling.

"I may fall here and now woman, but I will rise again, eternal!" The old man said, before throwing himself into the hole, laughing as he fell until his voice disappeared. To the onlookers surprise, his fall produced no noise to indicate ever hitting any kind of bottom.

Bleeding, Sonja wasted no time and rushed for the shack, wherein she found only a book. I was obviously being hand-scripted by the old man himself, with feather and ink both laying by its side, the latter of which likely produced by one of the creatures just slain. With another look at the lake below, she turned to address her companions. "There's nothing more here. Let's run back before that changes. Before anything else crawls out of the lake!" She stated "Or, Gods help us, from that hole!" She thought.

…

*********

"Stay still. This may sting a bit." The old woman said, applying medicine over the warrior's wounds.

"How were the others?" Red Sonja asked, unflinching.

"In better shape than you. They had gambesons after all. Teaches you to fight almost naked like that."

"I like the added mobility, and I can fight for longer periods like this."

"Keep telling yourself that, 'til you get hit by an ax."

"Weapons can't hit me, if I can dodge and parry them."

"Oh? Is that why I'm patching these bites and scratches?"

"You should see the other guy." The redhead smiled.

"Well, you were lucky. At least it's one more enemy leader vanquished."

"Yeah. Truth is, I never expected things to just come out of the lake like that. Boats, sure, but those..." Sonja paused, silently pondering something.

"What is it?" Emese inquired, observing the other woman's unusually pensive attitude.

"The creatures we fought. The things we killed… When I was their prisoner, one of them… I..."

The old woman placed a hand on Sonja's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Listen to me, The thing you birthed has nothing of you. It merely used your body as a vessel to enter this plane of existence."

"How do you..."

"I've been doing my reading. Those books you brought are hard to decipher, but they do explain a few things."

"What of the one I took from the shrine? You think there's something important there?"

"I'll tell you when I read it. Knowing more can't hurt."

"Really weird though, that place. Where do you think the pit ended? There sure wasn't any water to the level of the lake in there."

"Maybe that answer's in the new book."

"Yeah, maybe. See if there's anything about the other shrines there too. If we can kill the other elders… Ow!"

"Told you it might sting. Now remain still while I place the bandages." Emese said, applying the last of the ointment. "About that, I was going to wait to tell you this later, but since you mentioned it, we had some scouts return with news while you were away."

"Tell me those were good news."

"They were. It looks like your scheme is starting to pay off. Enemies have been sending patrols after us, using some strange horse-like creatures to sniff us out."

"And?" Sonja asked, trying to forget how loathsome the beasts mentioned were.

"I have reports of several successful ambushes. Soldiers, workers and those horse… Let's call them trackers, all falling for it. Little by little, we're bringing their numbers down."

"That is good news."

"Lucky the creatures don't seem to be very crafty."

"Those used to winning for so long seldom are. It is curious to see how it appears nobody has taken up the role the Mayor used to have."

"I don't believe there's much of a meritocracy to the way this twisted family works. It's more of a caste system, if anything. Kohen hasn't been replaced, because his replacement has to be born, is my guess."

"Makes it all that much more important to eliminate the remaining elders then. Expand the information network. The more we kill, the more the enemy will feel the pressure to take up a defensive strategy. When you see them gathering to defend certain unmapped positions in the valley, we'll know where to strike."

"Lucky for you then, we're playing the waiting game for now. It will be at least a week before I can recommend you do any fighting again."

"Heh..." Sonja smirked. "All bad things aside, when Eren and I were captives, they had this oil which healed wounds and protected from cold and all. Would be great if we could get our hands on some of that stuff."

Emese paused, tightening the bandages. "Right..." She said awkwardly shifting her eyes.

"What?" Sonja asked, noticing the peculiar change in demeanor from the old woman.

"It's… Nevermind." Emese said, avoiding the redhead's countenance.

"No, what is it?"

"Well… I rather not say anything about this but, if you insist… You do realize that boy you lay with is a Cambion, right?"

At first, the warrior-woman's green eyes widened in surprise, but her next stance was to smile calmly. "I've had some inklings he wasn't fully human, you could say."

"Then you understand you should stop it. This affair with him."

"I'll be damned if I do! I'm warning; you best stay out of my business if that's all you have to say. Also, I very much resent being spied on."

"Spying? The whole camp can hear you screaming and moaning, day and night."

"Really?" Sonja's tanned skin blushed, though she appeared more amused than embarrassed by the revelation. "Then the best I can promise is to try keeping it down." She said. "I wouldn't hold my breath." She thought. "Otherwise, you damn well better stay out of my business, like I said!"

"Very well. If there's nothing I can say to change your mind. Don't say you weren't warned." Emese tugged on the bandages. "Your mend is finished."

*********

"Why are we moving?" Eren asked.

"For privacy." Sonja replied, beginning to assemble their tent in a newly chosen spot.

"But, we were already really far from the camp."

"Not far enough, I hear. You've only yourself to blame." She said, pulling the boy's pants down, hungrily sucking on his half-erect member, helping it reach full tumescence. "Now, help me set everything up quickly so we can have some fun. And keep those pants off. I'll work much faster with some good motivation in sight."

…

05 - "ENGAGEMENT IV"

"You called for me?" The red-haired woman asked, entering the tent located in the middle of the underground campsite.

"I did. How's the arm?" The old woman replied, looking at the pile of notes on her table.

"Good as new." Sonja said, flexing. "What is it now? News or anything learned from the books?"

"Glad to hear it. The former."

"Hope I get to go out again. I'm all healed, and it's been a while."

"You may get your chance then. Once again, you proved capable of predicting the enemy's actions."

The female fighter's eyes lit up. "You mean..."

"I got new reports this morning. After several days of losing numbers, it looks like there's a big shift happening in how they're organizing."

"The entrance to the valley is still sealed shut. They're avoiding engagements, but they're not letting go of the position. Workers have started to concentrate inside the main village, which is much better protected than the rest."

"That's all expected."

"Yes, but here's the interesting part." She pulled a map from the piles of papers. "Many soldiers have been seen moving to and from here, and here." she pointed at a place in the forest, northeast in the valley, and another south of it, on a mountain along the middle of the eastern wall.

"You think it's the remaining shrines?"

"Seems like too much of a coincidence to not be."

"We need to try drawing soldiers from those places before I can go in. No need to get myself in a suicide mission."

"What do you suggest?"

"First, increase the pressure on what we're already doing. Then have your men attack the smaller villages if and when they feel it's safe to do it. Finally, the scouts you have watching and stealing crops..."

"Yes?"

"Have them burn it!"

"Burn food?!"

"Yes. Anything to draw away their defenses. As far as we can tell, they don't know we know about the other shrines. If that's the case, they will likely risk decreasing the number of guards there to respond to threats elsewhere."

"Won't that only allow you to attack a single one of the sites? Once you strike once, the other place will reinforce its defenses, realizing your strategy."

"Unless I take out both targets within the same day."

"That's… That might be crazy enough to work! The places are close enough. It's at least unexpected."

"Have a few men ready to join me when the time comes. Keep me informed. As soon as you get word of enemy soldiers leaving those points in larger numbers, it will be the window to hit them! The next few days will be crucial!"

*********

Nervous pairs of eyes darted from side to side, silently trying to imagine the reasons for being here, and what could come of it. Gathered at the center of the campsite, under the highest part of the cavernous hall's ceiling, a group of would-be soldiers circled the ever-burning, multi-purpose fire. Several men, and a few women carrying weapons, standing in lines and rows, surrounded by the curious looks of those too young, too old, or otherwise not able to fight.

"I'm not one for inspirational speeches, so I'll keep it brief." Red Sonja said, pacing in front of this frightened group. "By now, news of the latest scouting reports have already spread, so most of you probably already know what this is about. So far, we've been waging a war of attrition, striking from the shadows, chipping at our enemy's forces with little risk, and little loss. Well, that's about to change."

Murmurs and frightened stares came as a response to the last statement when the red-haired woman paused briefly.

"That's right." Sonja continued. "I know you may be thinking why not just keep doing what we're doing? But it was always gonna have to come down to this. There's more of them than there are of us. If they stop chasing us, and do nothing but play a waiting game, only taking efforts to hold the valley's entrance, they may have us beat. True, we've been stealing and burning their food, but resources are scarce on our side as well, and we don't know how much they have in store. So far, we've managed to play on their arrogance, their habit of beating you down, to dwindle their numbers with the right strategies. But don't fool yourselves; the enemy learns! Right now, we are being given what I believe to be the last chance to provoke them into trying to act offensively. They move their forces to try and defend the smaller villages, leaving strategic points largely undefended as a result, not realizing we know of this. These places are not so undefended I can risk going to them alone, or in a small group, however."

The woman's meaning was plain; There was no response though. Instead, the cave went silent, only disturbed by the crackling of the fire.

"Maybe you don't think yourselves warriors. You don't have that choice anymore. If we strike swiftly, if we succeed, our adversary will lose its ability to organize. From then on, their numbers will count for very little, and we can take control of the villages, and the whole valley! I won't lie; not all of you will come back from this fight. Not all of you will taste the fruits of victory. But if you do fight, and if we succeed, your children might, and your grandchildren will."

Suddenly, mumbles restarted among the listeners.

Red Sonja raised her sword, doing the same with her voice. "I know I'll be taking this fight to those bastards up there! So I ask, who's with me?"

It took a moment, but little by little cries of "Me!" and "I am!" began to echo, soon blurring into an amorphous war cry of defiance! A rising rally against the foe who'd kept these people under a boot, who forced them into hiding, praying and waiting for the moment to strike back. Only now, a glimmer of hope in the form of a red-haired female sellsword had come, breaking the shackles of their despair! They would fight to the death, for not doing so would mean death all the same!

…

*********

The plan was simple. Siege the southmost shrine with a smaller force, avoiding hazards, while most of the warriors would follow Red Sonja up to the next shrine, launching a more aggressive attack there, while the redhead would split from the group to flank the enemy's position, attempting an assassination on the elder, if she could find and reach him. Should this work, she and her forces were to doubled back and trap their adversary between north and south positions in the former shrine, while the warrior woman performed the same attempt there a second time! The plan was simple. Only everything was easier in theory than in practice!

...

Impressively, this group of several dozens managed to travel through the woods undetected. To this night, the pale boy's methods of navigation remained a significant advantage which the enemy did not share. In just an hour's march after leaving the cave complex, torch lights could be spotted, shining from between the branches, revealing their first target.

"Alright, listen up." Sonja said, addressing the field commanders, when they drew nearer the place. "Remember, your job here is to draw attention until we return. Don't be stupid! The real fight starts after we come back. Stay hidden for as long as you can manage, and if a battle breaks out, don't push it. Just hold position." She then turned to Eren. "How long 'til we reach the next shrine, you think?"

"It's close. Based on how we're moving, maybe forty, fifty minutes."

"So, all goes well, it's still up to three hours 'til we get back here then. Unless there are no lookouts around the area, you are certain to be seen before that." Sonja told the warriors who were to remain.

"We'll manage!" The man leading the force meant to stay said firmly.

"Right. Best not delay this any longer. You all already know who's coming and who's staying. Split up, keep quiet, and let's move on. May the Gods protect you."

...

Reaching the second location happened faster than expected. Though most were not particularly keen on starting a fight, the desire to see this through had grown stronger than the simple instinct of self-preservation which had kept these people alive over the past years. They'd come to the point where there had to be more to life than simply being alive, and if they had to, they would fight to get it!

"You three and you, with me." Red Sonja said, pointing at three swordsmen and the pale boy. "We're gonna circle the place from the north side, while they launch an attack from here." She pointed at the fire lights in the distance and the rest of the men-at-arms in wait. "You clear on what to do?" She asked the commander.

"Yes. We'll give you a few minutes before launching an attack."

"Enough talk then. Time to act!" Red Sonja drew her sword. "Weapons at the ready! And you..." She pointed at Eren. "Remain behind us!"

…

*********

Chaos broke loose once the battle began! Screams at first, soon followed by the sound of clashing metal! The first assumption was that this place would be a cave on the side of the mountain, but looking at it from a hidden spot in the bushes right above, Sonja and her companions saw that it was an open air campsite instead. Doubts about whether this was another shrine or not, also quickly vanishing.

A large, round stone platform, exactly like the one by the lake, including the enormous pit in the center, stood there, hidden among the trees. From it emanated that same scent of death, though not quite as strong as from the previous site. Over this platform, however, a large encampment had been built; near a hundred or so grotesque looking soldiers and villagers, accompanied by the occasional non-humanoid monstrosity moving between tents and fires.

Once the commotion began, at least two-thirds of the creatures raced to respond. Red Sonja waited, holding her small crew back, scanning the field, waiting for when he finally showed. Emerging from one of the huts, Abimael, the elder, looked around, scared and confused, holding a big book close to his chest. Hastily, he barked directions to the beasts and people around him, birthing a facsimile of order to that disorderly gathering.

"Gotcha, you bastard!" The she-devil with a sword thought, now waiting for the moment when enough of the creatures around the old men had left to respond to the small army's strike. "Now! Let's go, now!" She screamed to her companions, when the time came!

Descending from the hill, the redhead and the three swordsmen came down like a storm, slashing throats and severing limbs! The pale boy behind them moving in only after the fighting was done, walking in and out of the nearby empty tents, examining them for valuables, then kicking bits of burning embers onto the cloth to be set ablaze.

Looking around, the elderly cult leader saw the red-haired woman among the confusion, coming for him, sword in hand, chopping down any obstacle between herself and her prey! Behind her, a few swordsmen stood, blocking the path of any creature who meant to reach the woman from behind, or from any side. He tried to run, but he was slow, and she was fast! Before he knew it, his widened eyes rushed down to meet the stone floor, when his head rolled from his shoulders!

"It's done!" Red Sonja screamed, pulling the book from the man's hands, tossing it to Eren.

The hideous enemy soldiers remained fighting, but Sonja watched incredulously when the small, twisted false villagers began to throw themselves down the pit! 

"Let's go!" Sonja shouted again, thinking it was best to consider the motivations behind the adversary's actions later.

In the rush to leave, the group was surrounded by a pack of ape-like beasts! Sonja and the swordsmen engaged in a fight, while the black-haired boy did his best to stay out of the way. The creatures were no match for her; unfortunately, the same could not be said of the inexperienced men who helped! While the she-devil took down the beasts with amazing efficiency, her men struggled to accomplish the same. Before she could aid them, the monsters had pounced onto one of them, all clubbing at the same time, paying little attention to the other swordsmen who stabbed them from behind! Once the warrior-woman arrived, the enemies were finished, but her group of five was now one of four!

"We can't help him anymore." Sonja said grimly, when her companions tried reviving their beaten comrade. "Let's make sure he's avenged instead!" She beckoned, and they all retreated into darkness.

...

*********

Red Sonja joined the fray below, commanding retreat just as soon as the wounded were carried to the back, sent to the caves along with the book, and a small security escort.

Enemy soldiers kept attacking relentlessly, until the very last one of them fell dead. Fortunately, they lacked any strategy that went beyond blindly rushing in.

With the she-devil at their side, the fighting one-time villagers emerged victorious, though between the dead, the wounded, and those who went back, a force of fifty strong had been brought down to a mere fifteen. Unfortunate as this was, the attack on the next shrine had to proceed as planned!

"Cry for your fallen when you can cheer for theirs!" Sonja shouted, raising her blade. "Victory is close, now help me get it!"

...

*********

The sight ahead was unwelcome, though certainly not unexpected. A battle raged on between monsters and men, though luckily, it did appear as if it hadn't been taking place for all that long. Beasts had the villagers outnumbered at least two to one, but the latter had managed to minimize their losses by upholding a strategically chosen, defensible position.

This last shrine could not be so easily permeated, however. Surrounded by trees and rocks, the site was all but completely hidden; isolated with the exception of the southern side, which was covered only by thorny bushes. This time around, going in would require more brute force than finesse.

Flanking the enemy force with her small band, Sonja managed an amount of damage disproportionate to their lacking numbers. Their arrival prompting the men already fighting to move out offensively! This surprise attack evened the odds before the enemy could react, many of the monsters getting shot and speared, while in the process of trying to decide which way to face.

The skirmish was dirty and violent! The fallen were trampled while fighting happened along an uneven terrain, littered with trees and rocks! This battle was very much uphill, but having weaponry more suited to this situation gave Sonja and her men an edge, with their ability to combine the use of projectiles alongside a sturdy frontline.

Little by little, the dreaded red she-devil advanced, inching towards the stone platform, guarded by the two men who followed close behind. Once atop it, both she and her allies were effectively trapped, along with whatever remained of the enemy forces up there; The only way in or out, being the one behind, whence they came! 

The ensuing engagement was a wild struggle! This shrine too had been made into a campsite. Many of the small, misshapen villagers screamed in terror, running around at the sight of the female warrior, some throwing themselves down the pit. Grotesque soldiers, at least a dozen of them, charged her, though they lacked any grace at navigating this encampment. As the beasts fell to her blade, more and more of the small people would throw themselves down the hole. Little by little the woman's superior skill, paired with hit and hide tactics using the huts began to ensure a victory; right up until she slit the last creature's throat, only to realize she'd missed her count by one!

Red Sonja fell when the monster hit her head from behind! Her sword was lost! Looking around, so were her companions. The field was littered with corpses and blood, fallen tents and flames with black smoke! The only thing that appeared to stand was this one last beast atop her! Ears ringing, she still managed to roll, only just dodging the next blow! Reaching for the dagger in her boot, she made a desperate move, meeting the ensuing strike head on! Just as the hit landed on the side of her face, she sunk the blade into the creature's heart! Grabbing her head, she felt about to pass out, lips bloody, eye swollen. It looked as if the fight was over though, allowing her for a second of relief; that was until she was forcefully reminded of why she came here in the first place!

"Well, well..." The Strange old man said, crawling out of a hiding place from between the rubble made by toppled tents. "You've given us lots of trouble." He said, holding a book in one hand, using the other to pry her dagger from the corpse of the creature the redhead had just slain. "Time to put a stop to it!" He approached, grinning.

It couldn't end like this! She who had defeated all manner of formidable foes, killed by a frail, diminutive man, unable to react! Yet unable to react is precisely what Red Sonja was at that moment. Wounded, unarmed and dizzy, she could barely crawl away!

"Wish I could keep you alive. Make you a breeder again, but at this point, you're not worth the troub..." Abiel stopped, dropping the knife, looking down at the bolt embedded in his chest, then back up to the direction whence it came. "You?! You ungrateful… We gave you..." A second projectile hit the old man through one eye, forever silencing him!

"Come on!" Eren ran towards the woman, lowering his crossbow. "The fight is over. We won, but we need to get out of here. There's still some soldiers scattered about."

"The book." Sonja pointed.

Grabbing the object, the boy helped the redhead to her feet, aiding with her balance as they lurched away from the stone platform. "Let's go back."

She smiled at him, looking down with one eye. "Get ready. Soon as I'm better, you're in for a nice reward."

…

*********

Out of ninety-six who left, only a quarter survived, including Red Sonja and the pale boy. Even so, the trek back held a sense of triumph. Those who died to destroy this enemy would be remembered as the ones who saved future generations of a people otherwise doomed to disappear.

On arrival, Sonja delivered the final book to Emese, who promised to start working on it, as soon as the wounded were looked after. The redhead did not wait her turn; Instead taking some medical supplies back to her tent, along with the boy who helped her.

"What now?" Eren asked, when he and the female warrior entered the place that had become their private haven.

"If I was right, if the cult is leaderless now, it's all a matter of wearing them out. Take them apart one at a time. It may take weeks to do it still, but the war should be over. Hopefully there's something in those books we got from the shrines that help us finish them off faster." Sonja said, gasping.

"Really? Just like that?"

"You or someone else know of anyone who could lead, or coordinate them?"

Eren thought for a minute. "Not really."

"Then, we're on the path to victory. There will be much to do in the coming days. Unless something changes, from now on, I can go out on raids, help the scouts, or even act on my own without much planning. For now though..." She smiled, undressing herself, then the boy. "Heh! Just as I thought, already hard! Good thing you didn't do much fighting. Means you still have lots of energy."

"Y… Yes." The boy said, meekly. Anxious to engage in what would come next. "But..."

"Yeah, I know I don't look so pretty right now. Help me get cleaned and patched up." Sonja said, massaging the young man's member with both hands. "Not that this guy seems to mind. Cheer up! Nothing in this World, nor the next can keep me from celebrating our win properly." She cupped his balls. " Besides, I can't possibly fall asleep while you keep this tasty treat so nice and stiff for me. So let's put this big boy to good use, and empty those balls."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Eren replied, eyes twinkling.

"Hope you don't mind doing most of the work tonight. I'm spent."

"I'll do my best!"

"You better! Now go on, quick. I'm dripping wet, and every second that nasty cock's not inside me, is a second wasted."

…

06 - "LIES BENEATH"

Red Sonja had been right. After the death of the elders, the cult lacked any degree of organization. Even if for a while they would hold an advantage in absolute numbers, taking them out had become almost like hunting for sport. The woman warrior herself enjoying many such expeditions. Bit by bit, the remaining true inhabitants of the valley regained control of their homeland, taking back the smaller villages at first, inching their way up to the larger one.

Ape-like soldiers still patrolled the entryway to the dale, refusing to relinquish the position, almost out of habit, as if following orders given long ago. Their numbers would dwindle by the day, however. After only two weeks, the enemy held but two strongholds; the main village and the southern reaches of the marshlands.

At last, people felt safe to leave the underground fully; returning to abandoned homes and setting up camps and lookouts all through the valley. For the moment, efforts towards retaking the dale's entrance were neglected, with the knowledge that the beasts there would not try to leave and fight elsewhere. Instead, focus was placed in sieging that last, largest village. A camp had been placed around the moat surrounding the walls. Inside, what remained of those misshapen human imitations cowered, waiting for death, in much the same way they had once made the original villagers feel.

...

"You wanted to see me?" Red Sonja asked, entering the old woman's canopy.

"I did." Emese replied. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. No wounds. How's everything going on your end?"

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Let me guess, you want me to infiltrate the walls, attack the village from the inside?"

The old woman chuckled. "No. That place is on its last legs. I imagine it will be ours in two or three days, at most. All of your efforts and strategies have paid off. Once we have control of the whole inner valley, all we need do is clean the marshes of the last creatures still trying to protect the passage in and out."

"That's good to hear. What do you need me for then?"

"Sigh… I've been translating those books you took from the elders. Much of it is gibberish, but if what I managed to decipher is accurate, I think a simple victory up here might be only temporary."

Sonja sighed also, running a hand through her red hair. "Explain."

"I'm not sure I can do it completely. From what I understand, this has something to do with the connection between the God this cult worships and this valley in particular. There's mention of some kind of root of sorts. It's hard to explain. When I was reading the books, I realized how there were many different hand writings in them, far more than just three. These objects and the writing inside are much older than we could have guessed. This cult is something that has come and gone through the ages; bringing their God into our world is described as more of an ongoing process, rather than something they'd do on a single occasion, like we thought. Point being, so long as this so-called root exists, so will the cult be able to sprout again and again, eternally."

"Alright." Sonja shook her head. "What is it, where do I find it, and how do I kill it?"

"I don't know what it is. Definitions don't seem to make sense. As for where it is, the texts keep mentioning the underground, only far, far deeper than any part of the cavern complex we know of. Hence my words; a victory up here. No matter how much I look at the maps though, there's no hint of any entrance that could lead to any place like that."

"Unless this site is not connected with the underground you know. If it is its own thing, with its own distinct entryways and exits."

"You're thinking of the pits in the shrines as well?"

"Call me mad, but there was something odd about cult members throwing themselves down there. Maybe the stuff you're talking about explains it, somehow. We could get some rope and..."

"It's an obvious thought. So much so, I've already had men trying that. There's nowhere near enough rope to go down sufficiently to even see any hint of a bottom though."

"What then? You think there's another way down somewhere?"

"There must be."

"Let's assume we can find it. That's the big what then, isn't it? How to deal with this thing? Is it a place we have to destroy, or what?"

"The texts also make mention of a poison, or taint. A type of bad blood which is purged from this God itself, every generation."

"You mean like some manner of toxin? That makes no sense. Why would this divine being spill out something bad for itself?"

"It does make some sense. Our own bodies will try to expel poisonous, or foreign elements. Believe it or not, in my training as a healer, I heard tales of places where horses would intentionally be infected with disease; Then their blood would be used to craft a cure humans could use. Perhaps it's something like that. Or maybe this is just a necessary part of the process; some adaptation needed to be able to come to our world. Whatever the case, we should try to find it. It may be unnecessary, given we don't know the precise nature of what we need to destroy or kill, but having it in our hands guarantees some measure of results."

"You assume it could be in this deeper underground?"

"A place so unknown and unreachable would be a good hiding spot, at the very least."

"Well then; Keep working on the books, see if you find anything else. In the meantime, I'll keep eyes and ears open for any clue about all that stuff, while I hunt down those ugly bastards. If I find anything, I'll tell you."

"Yes. Make sure to tell me." Emese said firmly.

*********

"I thought we were going to the swamp." Eren asked, puzzled at the redhead's request.

"Not today. Now do your thing and take me there." Sonja replied.

"This way." The boy pointed, taking her by the hand.

"We shouldn't run into any trouble, but be careful still. Remember what I told you, if there's a fight you run."

"Uh-hum." Eren nodded reluctantly.

It was very strange, though rather pleasing to be walking through the valley during the day like this. Last time Sonja had done it, was when first arriving with Yudel. This day though, she had called for the boy, demanding he guide her, leaving the siege camp as soon as the sun came up. With the local threat all but gone, she did not have to be engaging in constant strategizing and fighting anymore. The idea had come to her during the night. Following many hours of frantic lovemaking, while she and the young man held each other waiting for sleep, memories of nights past came to her. In retrospect, it was strange that she did not think of going through with it before, though maybe the constant battles might not have allowed her mind to consider much else.

Going up the side of the mountain, after only a few hours walking, Sonja's goal was in sight. She and Eren finally reached the place she wanted to return to; that cave where she and her young companion had been captive weeks ago. "Got the lamp I asked you to bring?" She asked the boy.

"Yeah. Give me a minute to light it."

"Right, and if you see any torches that might still be usable in there, grab'em."

"What are we looking for?"

"I thought you'd have it figured by now. What could there be up here that's useful to us?"

"I don't..." He suddenly recalled the time spent in a cell alongside the redhead. "The healing oil?"

"Ah, so you do remember? Good. Now let's go."

Inside, the cave was quiet and in complete darkness. All of the cells around the rim that made the upper level proved empty, though that was expected. Down through the narrow stairway, Red Sonja observed that the bodies she left behind had been removed. The hall of the lower level was likewise void of contents, safe for the variety of altars, slabs, and other stone constructs meant for ritual purposes.

"Over here." Eren called, beckoning towards one of the several passageways which surrounded the room.

"Found anything?"

"Yeah. Look, this is a storage room." 

"Nice!" Sonja said, peering inside. "Take a few torches and help me look for the balm."

"Found it!" Eren announced after a few minutes searching, dragging a small barrel from a corner.

"This the only one?"

"I think so."

"There's only maybe a couple of gallons here. Well, beats nothing. Let's have a look in the other passageways."

Examining the remainder of the caves took a while. Each of the openings around the hall lead down to a large type of barrack, or barn-like facility, wherein many men, or monsters, could be housed for short periods of time. One of the exits lead to a long corridor, moving downwards, but considering how she'd already gotten what she came for, Sonja doubled back after walking through it for a few minutes, figuring this was likely the way towards the location's latrines, seeing as that vital utility seemed to be otherwise missing. Time would be best spent going back, as there could be room for a quick hunt down in the swamp, were they to return fast enough.

"I think we're done here." Sonja told the boy. "Let's get back. Can you carry the barrel?"

"Yeah." Eren replied, strapping the object to his back.

"The container's opened. Be careful to seal it well. Don't let it spill."

"No problem."

"I could have used some of that oil a couple of times." Sonja remarked while they went back up the stairs. "Hope it won't happen again, but having it handy is a great boon."

"Could help other people too."

"Sure. We'll leave it with..."

Sonja and Eren suddenly stopped, broken out of their casual conversation. Right there, at the exit to the cave stood two hideous simian humanoids, their own twisted countenances in just as much surprise at the sight of the couple!

"Run!" The redhead shouted, being the first to break the silence and act, unsheathing her sword!

Eren raced to the exit, trying to place a bolt on the small crossbow he always carried. Meanwhile, one of the creatures lunged for the woman, while the other stood in place for another moment, looking back and forth between the female and the boy, trying to decide which target was best!

"Got it!" Eren thought, placing the projectile in place, turning to go back and help the red-haired woman, only… The monster loomed over him, slapping the crossbow from his hand before he could aim! Falling back, he tried to crawl over the grass and dirt, only to be kicked in the chest, and launched back several feet! Desperate, he grabbed one of the torches he carried, wildly swinging it in front of him, as a poor improvised barrier!

With a swipe of its spiked club, the creature easily swatted the boy's makeshift wall away, while opening a deep gash in his arm! Looking down, smiling, drooling, it raised the weapon again, ready to deliver the final blow!

Eren covered his face with his arms, but the strike never came. Instead, he was hit with a warm splash, followed by a thudding noise.

"Are you alright?" Red Sonja asked, cleaning her sword. Beside her, lay the headless creature.

"Hurt my arm..."

"Let me see." She reached for the barrel of healing oil, opening it and dipping her fingers, rubbing them on the boy's face and arm. "You're a crap fighter, you know that?" She said, jokingly.

"Sorry..." Eren replied, averting his gaze.

"That's alright. Your talents lay elsewhere." Sonja reached inside his pants, oiling his hardening shaft, while opening her cloak, and undoing her loincloth.

"What… Here? What if..."

"We best be quick then." Sonja bit her lip, positioning her silky lips over his erection. "Fighting like this gets me hot! Now, be quiet while I Aaahhh!" She moaned, impaling herself!

Like a rabid beast, the red-haired woman rode the pale boy's huge cock, never halting while she periodically kissed him. Caution thrown to the winds, she moaned and screamed, the chainmail over her breasts rattling noisily! Several minutes passed, yet her enthusiasm showed no signs of diminishing.

"We should go back..." Eren tried to ask.

"I told you, let me have my fill!"

"You already did it twice."

Sonja stopped for a moment, grinning. "Counting, are we? You're one to talk, with that raging hard-on still going. You think I didn't feel you squirting inside me a while ago?"

"I wanna keep doing it, but..."

"Anyways, I always wanted to do this with you outside. That tent's a little smothering." Sonja said, as she looked at the boy, examining his fine features. "Your face looks better already. Your arm is still bleeding though. The cut is deep. Probably be several hours 'til it's healed. The balm is quite something. You'd probably have it in a sling for a week without it, provided you didn't bleed to death before reaching the camp."

"How come we didn't find more of it anywhere else?"

Sonja chuckled. "Nice try there but talk all you want, we're still gonna keep fucking." She said, rocking her hips back and forth slowly. "Ah, yeah! Oh… I… Don't know. Who knows?"

"Good thing... You remembered to come here then." Eren spoke, struggling to hold back another bout of ejaculation.

"Hum… Ah! Why's that? Oh… I can tell you want to cum again. Mm… Go right ahead!"

"It's… It's the only place where we found that oil. We wouldn't… have found any… Since it's not on the maps..."

"What?!" Sonja suddenly stopped moving.

"What?!" Eren asked, puzzled, arching his back, while his member jerked, filling the redhead with another burst of his seed!

"What did you say?"

"Good thing you..."

"No, after that!"

"This cave, it's not in any map. If you hadn't remembered it..."

"How do you know that?"

"I… When I was trying to find you, I looked at the maps charting all the caves. I tracked the mountain by the movements of the villagers, but when I came here, I only found the place by hearing you. Later on, I realized this cave wasn't mapped."

Somja leaned forward, kissing the boy, holding him tightly while their tongues wrestled in a pool of joined spit! "Good job!" She said, standing, disconnecting their genitals. "Ooh… You keep that big, bumpy cock nice and stiff for when we get back. Right now, we need to take a look at something."

"What?" Eren asked, pulling his pants back up, while the woman recovered her loincloth, ignoring the stream of sexual fluids which ran down her legs.

"Just a hunch. Light the lamp again, and follow me."

After returning to the cave, Sonja and Eren moved down the stone corridor they had previously chosen not to explore. A good hour of walking later, she realized how she could not have been more wrong in her initial assumption. This path did not lead to a latrine, nor any other kind of room, it seemed. Instead, it spiraled down the mountain in a steep, though still walkable slope. "Could this be it?" She kept thinking, recalling the tales of a deeper underground Emese had told her. It would make sense, considering a clever way to hide a path downwards was to make it so one would have to move upwards beforehand, in order to find it.

Another half day hiking and it was hard to guess just how low they'd gotten. Surely past the base of the mountain, likely past the depths of most caves, perhaps even past the bottom of the lake. Sonja and the boy had been walking so long, she'd be willing to bet they were far past anything in any known chart. Regardless, that said nothing of how much there might be left to go. On top of it, whatever could be found at the end of this pathway was also a mystery, though at least the way back was clear, and retreating was always an option, although curiosity was certainly winning over against reason, in the desire to see what lies beneath. Given how narrow the corridor was, however, it could be that bringing any more people to help would have been a poor choice, if not a wholly self-defeating precaution; or so Red Sonja told herself, whilst advancing. Suddenly, they felt it! The first whiff of that horrible scent which emanated from the pits in the stone platforms that made up the shrines. That stench of death and rot! The ground and walls grew increasingly moist, which Sonja had assumed to be a natural result of delving so deep underground; but that was only until the stone beneath her feet started to feel soft.

"What's going on here?!" The female warrior said, looking around, observing the strange veiny textures all around her.

"I don't know." Eren replied, also observing the changing environment, decidedly fearful.

"Let's keep going. I have to see what's at the end of this."

The more the pair advanced, the more the smell increased, and the more the stone was less like stone and more like… Flesh! Both The red-haired warrior and the black-haired boy had come to this realization a while before, only they refused to acknowledge as much. Treading on this ground, however, was like walking over a pile of guts, and its appearance was far more like that of a skinless corpse than that of any known rock! Eventually, the corridor came to an end! The view ahead was as incredible and awe-inspiring, as it was stomach-churning! 

A single room, illuminated by a reddish glow came from the walls, ground, and ceiling alike, of such vast expanse, no end to it could be seen towards any direction, besides the wall from which Sonja and Eren had themselves emerged! From top to bottom, the span was of at least a hundred feet, with what looked to be columns growing erratically all over, spanning ground to ceiling in every angle imaginable! This chamber, which could well, and likely did span the whole of the valley in scope, if not more, could not be described as anything but organic! There were no straight angles to be found anywhere. The bumpy, moist texture of every inch here glistened and pulsated, with the bearings of an exposed, smoothed out brain! A faint, foul wind blew through it all, though otherwise, the expanse was silent. 

"What in all hells is this place?!" Sonja gasped. "Eren, stay close, eyes open! Let's have a look around." She said, walking forward. The pair moved around for several minutes, with no sign of movement, nor life anywhere, aside from the environment itself. The vastness of the place was beyond unsettling. Thinking better of it, Sonja decided it was best to try coming back with a little bit of preparation, after all. Sleeping on it could not hurt, considering this place would certainly be here tomorrow. "Know what? Let's go back. We can return later."

Eren nodded, swiftly turning around to leave.

On the way back, the sight of the exit into the long corridor leading upwards was more than welcome. Increasing their pace, Sonja and the boy held hands, rushing to get out; both running as fast as they could together. Unexpectedly…

"Ow!" Sonja tripped, just a few yards from the pathway. "What did I..." She looked at the floor, where a sizeable portion of the formerly organic material had turned to solid, dark stone. Inching closer, she took the lamp from Eren's hand, examining this newly formed rock. "This definitely wasn't here before!" Looking around some more, there seemed to be other stony formations on the ground, strangely following along the way she and the boy had previously walked by. "Can you see anything in those..." She began to ask him, 'til she spotted a droplet in the middle of one of the hard patches, then in another, and another; in all of them, in fact.

Cautiously, Sonja touched the liquid. "Blood?" She raised her head to look at the ceiling, to see if maybe it could be the source of the drops, but she stopped halfway, remarking upon Eren's hand instead, whereon a few streams made by the wound in his arms still lingered. She remembered how rough she'd been with him just before entering the pathway down, and how it must have reopened the cut before the oil could fully heal it. "Could it be?" She mused. "Eren, come here." She called, extending her hand. When the boy came closer, she wiped some of the blood from his fingers with her own, then rubbed it on an organic section of the floor.

"Yeah. It starts dripping from time to time, when I do a sudden move. Doesn't hurt anymore though. It's shallow." The boy confessed, having kept the fact that the wound had not fully healed hidden, in an attempt to appear strong in the eyes of the red-haired woman.

Sonja ignored the remark, instead caressing his hand, while she watched the floor. Incredibly, the chain reaction was immediate! A large section of flesh-like material petrified, and was rendered lifeless, just as the boy's blood touched it!

"What happened there?" Eren asked, bewildered by the transmutation.

"Not completely sure." Sonja replied, half lying, half telling the truth. "It's… That's not important right now. Come on, let's get back quickly. It's a good half day walk still."

…

*********

"Are you sure about this?" The old woman asked, looking through her pile of books and notes.

"Yes." Red Sonja replied.

Emese sighed, straightening her clothes. "It seems you found what it is we have to destroy."

"How though? That place is larger than you can imagine. It may be as big as the entire valley."

"How do you kill a man with a single strike?"

"You hit a vital… Are you saying there may be some place we can hit..."

"That we can hit which kills the whole thing? Yes. I believe there must be. One thing's for sure; that place is neither natural, nor it it just a place."

"Any idea how to find it? This weak spot, I mean. Going down there blindly once again doesn't seem like the cleverest plan."

"Maybe we could drop things down those pits, in the shrines."

"Yeah… That might work." Sonja pulled one of the maps towards her. "This is the mountain where the way down is. These are the shrines..." She pointed. "If I walk underground straight south from one point to the other, I should get under the place where the nearest pit leads, assuming the hole does reach all the way down. If you could, for instance, drop something in flames, that's guaranteed to not go out during the fall, and that can keep burning for a while..."

"I think that can be arranged. If nothing else, it's at least a point of reference to have down there. We can begin efforts to understanding how to navigate the place."

"Set it up then. We can time everything right, and I'll go down again. Even if I find nothing, it's the best idea so far."

"It's the only idea so far. Either way, it will take me a couple of days."

"Not a problem. I'll be waiting."

"One more thing..." Emese said, sternly.

"Yes?"

"You know you'll need to take the boy with you."

Sonja lowered her head. "Yes." She said. "We'll see how this goes." She thought.

…

*********

"You in there?" The redhead asked, stepping into the tent.

"Yes!" Eren replied, standing on a corner by the bed, waiting for her, already disrobed, his huge, veiny erection firmly pointing at an upward angle .

Sonja looked at the comely boy, then at his disproportional, lumpy cock, licking her lips at the thought of enjoying that particular combination.

"It's ready, like you asked." Eren said, his member twitching mischievously.

"It certainly is. To think you used to be self-conscious of that ugly thing."

"You… You said you like it."

"Like it?!" Sonja grinned. She circled the black-haired young man, and ran her fingers up and down his shaft, removing her garments while positioning herself over him. "I absolutely love it! Oh!" She moaned, allowing her weight to fall over his length just as soon as the loincloth was tossed aside. "I love that this monstrosity is attached to you! I love feeling every bump, and every vein! I just can't say whether I love it more when I straddle you..." She fell back, pulling him along to lay over her, well-positioned between her wide-spread legs. "Or when you straddle me. Ah!" She yelped, placing her hands by the sides of the boy's pretty face. "To think I'd… Ah! I'd ever say that about someone who can't fight at all." 

"What do you mean?" Eren slowed his movements to ask.

"Usually, I'd only ever let a man touch me the way you do if he can beat me in a fight."

The boy frowned. Although he would not admit it, the thought of anyone else touching Sonja like this made him deeply jealous. "Can anyone beat you?"

"Heh. Let's say I usually feel like something of a monk."

"What? I don't..."

"Nevermind." Sonja ran her hands over her lover's buttocks. "You did save me when I couldn't. That's a way of beating me, I suppose. Either way, you have me hooked."

"So, can I try to find out how you like the straddling best?"

"Oh? Full of yourself, are you? Then again, I'm full of you too." Sonja beamed. Perhaps this was not yet the time to worry about the future after all, she reflected. "Let's find that out together."

…

*********

Red Sonja had spent the final hours of the night preparing. Donning a heavier attire than what she was used to, as well as a thicker cloak, she also made sure her regular weapons were sharpened, while adding a small shield, and a second dagger to the load. "You ready?"

"Yes." Eren replied, checking on his gear as well.

"Go and wait for me by the edge of the camp. I'll let Emese know we're moving."

"Alright."

As the boy left their current abode, Sonja looked around at the scattered clothes and messy bundles of cloth and pelts, fondly recalling the past couple of days spent in there. Kicking things to a corner, her foot landed on something hard. "What's this?" She lifted Eren's old cloak to see what was underneath. "Oh." With the craziness of finding the underground complex and the lustful frenzy that followed after returning, she had all but forgotten the reason they had gone up that mountain to begin with. "I'll take the opportunity and leave it with Emese on my way out." She said, grabbing the barrel containing the powerful healing balm.

The old healer's tent, however, would prove to be empty. The warrior-woman left the barrel on a table, looking around at the piles of books and papers mingled with strange medical equipment. Hanging on a wall, she spotted a waterskin, which immediately gave her an idea.

"I think it's only fair I get at least half of this." Sonja remarked, filling the leather container with the oil she'd just brought. Afterward, while she sealed the vessel, and strapped it to her waist, just as a man dressed in battle attire entered the tent.

"Hello, miss." The man said. "Forgive me, but I saw you walking into the healer's tent..."

"Yes, I too was looking for Emese. Where is she?"

"She left camp during the night. Many hours ago now."

"Hum… That's odd. She told me to set out by morning. Based on travelling distances, she'd have a lot of free time before needing to head south, considering how long it takes me to reach the underground complex. I guess she's probably making sure things work out, overseeing the people throwing burning stuff down the pits. But if you know she left..."

"I… I didn't come here to speak with the healer. I wanted to talk to you." The man removed his helmet, revealing a fair head of hair. "Maybe you don't recall who I am..."

"You came with Eren and me when we infiltrated the main village, a few weeks ago."

"Yes." The man said, surprised. "I apologize, but I heard talk of you going into another mission and, I'd like to join you."

"It's a nice offer, but the place where I'm going, numbers may do more harm than good. The path to reach it is very narrow. Besides, doesn't the siege here need every man?"

"I'm just one person. I won't be missed. And if I can offer you any help..."

"Look, in the end this all is for your homeland and people. If you want to come, I won't stop you, but if you get in my way..."

"I will not." The man placed his helmet back in place.

"Fair enough. What's your name?"

"You may call me Kemp."

"Sorry I didn't ask before, but I'm not one for social bonds. Well, Kemp. I hope you like walking. Let's go."

…

*********

Hours to climb up, followed by that many more hours to hike down. At last, Red Sonja and her two travelling companions reached that unholy fleshy underground.

"By the Gods!" Kemp exclaimed, spinning around with a torch in hand, barely able to believe his eyes, covering his nose from the horrible stench.

"I know." Sonja said. "We need to keep moving though. South is that way, along the wall we came from." She pointed. "Instructions were to start throwing burning objects down the pits soon after the sun came up. It's been a few hours already. So, eyes opened for signs of anything alight. Also, this trip is mostly to get to know the place. If there's any danger, be ready to run back. Come on." Looking down when the trio started to walk, she took note that the petrified patches were still there, her stomach churning at the sight of them.

...

Each step into the bowels of that horrendous gap beneath the earth, each step away from its exit felt deeply disturbing. Nothing had happened down there just yet; there seemed to be no rational reason to be afraid so far, if not for the fact that this place's very existence defied reason. Between that horrible sensation, and the ungodly, omnipresent stench, the trio of adventurers moved in silence, mouths and nostrils closed.

"Look!" Kemp said, tugging at Red Sonja's cloak after a few hours of quiet pacing had passed. "Over there." He pointed at a tiny light flickering in the distance.

"I smell smoke." Eren added.

Sonja drew her sword. "Keep moving. Whatever it is we need to find and do down here, I rather it be over quickly."

Hastening their stride, the group reached what appeared to be an enormous basin indented on the floor, roughly the same size as the stone platforms which made up the shrines up in the valley. On the ceiling above it, there loomed a huge, dark hole, from which an air current could be felt blowing; this was indeed the endpoint for one of the pits. Directly under the orifice, a multilayered bundle of cloth and wood doused in burning oil remained ablaze, the light of the fire reflected by the moistness of the surroundings. Under that bundle, however…

"By the Gods!" Red Sonja stepped closer, looking at the colossal pile of corpses.

"That explains the smell, at least part of it." Kemp said, holding his mouth.

"Where could so many bodies have come from?"

"Some of them are from the cultists. Look, there's several non-human shapes. Some are..." The man stopped, staring at the redhead.

"The women captured before me. Discarded once they could no longer be of use." She completed the sentence, tightening her grip on the sword's handle, gritting her teeth when she identified what was left of once female warriors like herself.

"Look." Eren pointed at the floor.

"What?"

"The marks. Someone's been dragging bodies from there."

"Someone. Or Some... Thing." Kemp said.

It was true. Upon a second glance, lines on the ground were fairly easy to spot. "I know you don't want to hear this, but we try to follow the tracks." Sonja remarked, addressing the soldier. "If you want to turn back..."

"No. I have already come this far." Kemp replied. "Let's see where it leads."

...

Several times it would occur to Red Sonja and her companions to turn back, though none would say it out loud. The chamber was incredibly spacious, almost endless it seemed, creating a sense that traveling through it in the hopes of reaching anything anywhere, was a fool's errand. Their new journey following the marks on the ground went on for hours, and each for their own reason marched on, wanting to see hints of an end to this nightmare.

Eventually, the marred ground became increasingly less smooth, harder to step through; so did the fleshy columns and what could be seen of the ceiling, appear to bare that odd, uneven texture. The natural dampness of the place gathered into the crevices formed between the bumps, a foul reddish-yellow, half-transparent liquid. At some point, while the bumps grew larger and the streams wider, a slight flow was visible to them; though feet could not quite feel it, the overall terrain took on a slight slope.

The tracks lead towards what looked like a small lake, perhaps sixty feet or so, from one edge to the other, filled with that same disgusting pus-like substance. While that same fluid oozed into it, enormous vein-like cylinders protruded from the pool, digging in and out of the flesh of the ground, and the columns nearby, all the way to the ceiling, spreading around like the root-system of some great, unholy tree.

"What, in the name of all Gods, is this?!" Red Sonja asked, leaning to look at the revolting liquid.

"Looks like a combination of bodily fluids." Kemp replied, not so keen to get closer.

"Something's in there, moving." Eren pointed at the pond, stepping back.

Waves and bubbles formed on the yellow fluid's surface, as if a large fish was swimming inside it, only it appeared nowhere near fast enough to be a fish. When it moved closer to the edge, it began to emerge from the pool!

Red Sonja and her companions inched back, while the thing coming from the vile lake crept ahead, revealing itself. Stepping onward, there came a man. He was tall, lean but athletic, his hair was pitch black, while his eyes and skin shared those same tones of orange-amber and pale blue as those of the boy, Eren! From the front of his forehead, protruded a pair of horns, forwards, then upwards. His only garb was a loincloth, which made otherwise plain that the entire left side of his body was covered in a scarred tissue characteristic of one having been severely burned.

The strange, scarred man looked confused, amazed even, for a moment, before his half-burned face contorted into an expression of amusement. "It is not often my Lord receives visitors." He spoke. "Do you come to add to his glory? Our glory?" He raised his arms.

Red Sonja had no stomach for games anymore. It was time to finish this! "We've come to end you, and your God!" She said, defiantly pointing her sword at creature.

The scarred man chuckled. The entire environment around began to squirm! Walls, ceiling, pillars, all that flesh writhing in a churning, revolting dance! "And how could you do that?"

"First off, by taking your head!"

"I'm but a man. One blessed by a high rank in my Lord's hierarchy, true; but alone, I am meaningless. Killing me would only add to the glory of God!" More vigorously, the surroundings squirmed, creating revolting wet noises at those words!

Red Sonja stepped back, avoiding the motions in the ground. Having heard the words, she finally conceived what it was, that all of this writhing flesh was composed of. Those shapes etched on the floor, on the ceiling, and everywhere else, revealing themselves through the contortions! Shapes of once humanoid bodies, all now fused together into that single, abhorrent mass! "What the?!" She moved back further still.

It seemed as if the corpses of the cultists and whoever else they used were thrown into the pits, then dragged into this pool, wherein their carcasses were made to add to add to this profane, underground bulk! It also seemed this strange man had been down here, doing the dragging for years.

"Add to this monstrosity then! It makes no difference. When you're gone, there will be no one else to keep your little project going down here. Your deranged religion will be done!" The female warrior spat.

Once more, the man laughed. "My Lord has been transitioning into this dimension ever since there has been flesh to house him in it! From the dawn of time, he slumbers, waiting to wake here. Even if you kill me, you cannot stop that which is eternal. Others will come, created if need be, and take my place. As it happened every time it halted, the process will begin anew, continuing to its ultimate completion." He smiled, looking up. "It is nearly finished now. Soon, this world and all others will be devoured by the Lord's arrival!"

"Parasite! We people who are the true inhabitants of the valley..." Kemp protested, before being interrupted by a fit of laughter.

"Heh heh! True inhabitants? I've come and went among you; among them, for generations. Posing as guides and leaders, readying the flock for the next harvest. My Lord is the valley itself! You are but fleas on his hide!"

"Why would you even want this fate?! Lose yourself, merged into this foul blob?"

"It is through God that we come into being, and to him, we return. Those of a higher caste, however, shall be allowed to reign by his side." The scarred man said. For the first time, he looked at the pale boy who stood by the warrior-woman, an expression of surprise and delight on his disfigured face. "Is that not right, my son?"

Taken aback at being addressed so directly, Eren moved backward, raising his crossbow.

The man's visage suddenly twisted to one of surprise, then hatred at the boy's actions. "Impossible! How can you who is of the blood go against… No! No!" For the first time, that injured face showcased fear! "You will not succeed!" He screamed, stepping out of the pool, raising his right arm to shoulder level. From the fleshy ground beneath his hand, a bony pike sprang upwards, which he grabbed, pulling it fully from whence it sprang; an organic sword-like weapon! As soon as the tip lost contact with the flesh, the place started to writhe further, at an accelerated pace, such that remaining standing was almost impossible!

Sonja managed to keep her footing. Meanwhile, both Eren and Kemp fell down, both struggling to get back up again. Horrified, she saw the scarred man charging! Not at her, not at the soldier; but at the boy! Acting quickly, the she-devil managed to parry the blow meant for her companion, kicking the scarred man in the chest, after deflecting his blade! "Get away from him!" She charged, pressing forward, as to create some distance between the fight and the young man!

Surprised at the woman's skill and ferocity, the scarred man struggled to defend himself. If not for his ability to ignore the movements on the floor, and her inability to do the same, she'd have him dead by now. "Amazing! You will make the greatest of breeders for my Lord!" He spoke, pressing his blade to hers, hoping to push her down while she struggled to maintain a foothold. "What is this?!" He said disgusted, as if sniffing at the redhead, when they pushed closer to one another. "You've been soiled by poisonous seed!?" He scowled.

"A lot!" Sonja grinned, amused by the fact that what the man referred to seemed not only to go against his intentions for her, but it went so far as to offend him!

"Whore! You have no use!" He shouted, pushing her back with a swing of his blade!

Nimbly, Red Sonja rolled back, jumping to a side up to her feet! The man followed with another swing, which she parried, punching his face with her free hand! He tried to step back, but she stomped on his foot, compromising his balance. She then grabbed one of his horns, and forced his face to meet one of her knees!

From the back, Kemp rushed, brandishing a spear, seeking to help with the struggle! The scarred man was forced to react, swinging his blade upwards, slashing the soldier in his chest, while deflecting his piercing weapon!

Sonja made use of the moment bought by her comrade, slashing both the scarred man's thighs with a single swipe! When he tried to bring his blade back, she pulled her dagger from a boot, impaling his wrist! Unable to move or fight, he slumped, trying to crawl with a single arm, still reaching for his dropped bony blade.

"It's over!" The red-haired woman said, stomping onto the scarred man's remaining good hand.

"No..." Looking up, under the horns, the man's deformed and bloodied face revealed raw desperation! Only, a moment later, he appeared to gaze not at the woman who defeated him, but past her. His visage then morphing, taking on a wicked, wide smile. "Hahahahaha!"

A cold shiver ran down Red Sonja's spine at the sound of the man's maniacal laughter! When she turned to see what it was that amused him, she saw the pond of pus, now lit encircled by glowing runes. By the edge, on the floor, lay a small, disarmed crossbow! Inside, the old woman, Emese, dragged an incapacitated Eren towards the deeper reaches, a cloth pressed to his face with one hand, whilst in the other, there gleamed knife! "Don't!" Sonja yelled. Without looking, she swung her blade angrily, ending the laughter alongside the scarred man's life! She then rushed to the pool, screaming! "Stop!"

Emese looked up, raising the blade.

"I know his blood is key to killing this creature's physical body, but we can find another way..." Sonja said, walking into the liquid without hesitation!

The old woman smiled. That same wicked smile as the one given by the man with horns!

It came to her in a flash! The books she'd been reading, these runes here… Eren was the key to ending this so-called God; only Emese did not mean to end! Not anymore, if she ever did. She meant, through some manner of spell, or ritual, to join it! To take the place of the slaughtered, scarred man by this hellish creature's side; all the while eliminating the one known threat to it. If she succeeded, the cycle Sonja had worked so hard to end, would simply begin anew.

"Miss Sonja!" Kemp, barely able to stand, screamed from the back, tossing the redhead what remained of his damaged spear!

Sonja grabbed the weapon, merely adjusting position, swinging and throwing in a single motion, like a javelin!

The spear pierced Emese's heart just as her own blade descended! A mere instant before she pierced the boy's chest! Her eyes widened, and she fell face first into the liquid, floating lifeless.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Sonja swam forward, splashing the vile, warm pus around her, reaching for Eren, who floated on his back, a blade handle sticking out of his chest!

Around the two adrift bodies, a dark blotch of blood began to spread, tainting the yellowish pool!

Pulling the boy by a hand, Sonja brought him closer, holding him tightly, brushing the hair from his face. "Please..." 

The knife was buried more than half a foot into Eren's chest, though the strike had been a clumsy one, having missed any vital organs. But only in such a way that he did not die immediately. The wound, however, was still such that the end result could not be any different. He was sure to die, it would just take a few moments longer.

"No!" Sonja kissed the boy's lifeless lips, the touch of it rekindling memories of their many times together. "Wait!" Something occurred to her! She reached for her belt and grabbed at the submerged container, bringing it to surface. Cleaning Eren's chest as best she could, she bit and uncorked the waterskin, grabbing at the knife's handle! "Please, please..." She begged, praying to whatever Gods would listen.

With one powerful yank, the blade was pulled from the pale boy's body. Red Sonja doused the wound with the healing balm, all while gently dragging him to dry land. The fluid behind them marred by a dark trail of blood.

"Here." Kemp said, handing the woman his cloak, which she took, using it to dry and cover the boy. "Is he..."

"I don't know." Sonja said, fighting back tears, rubbing Eren's limp body with more and more of the mystical healing oil.

"Is that some kind of medicine?" 

"I hope so."

Gradually, the bleeding diminished, though it would still take proper patching to stop. The young man's breathing was weak, but steady. He remained unconscious, but for the moment, he was still alive!

"Oh, thank the Gods!" Sonja gasped! "Help me patch the wound, and make a harness so I can carry him." She asked of Kemp.

"I don't think we can move him. Maybe I can run back..."

"No. Let the balm do its job. Once he's a little stronger, more stable, I can take him back."

Suddenly, the underground chasm began to shake!

"Look!" Kemp pointed at the pond.

The dark blood in the fluid flowed from the pool, into the giant vein-like tubes, seeping into the flesh all around, unleashing a chain reaction of life and death! All about, inch by inch, the scenery went from fleshy red to stony gray! Little by little, the coil this unholy, otherworldly God meant to inhabit began to die! In a matter of hours, this creature's body, its foothold inside this reality, and its deranged religion would all be no more!

...

END OF PART 3.

TO BE CONTINUED IN EPILOGUE.


	5. Epilogue

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

EPILOGUE

"You asked for me?" Kemp said, entering the room, holding his helmet under an arm.

"I did. Just a moment." Red Sonja replied, turning back to Eren. "I'll see you later tonight." She kissed the boy's forehead, standing. "Shall we walk?" She said, moving past the soldier.

Stepping out from the former magistrate's house, the red-haired warrior and the man walked towards the central square; The same place where the same woman had first arrived in his town long ago.

"How's Eren doing?" Kemp asked.

"Almost fully recovered. He'll always have a scar though."

"Good to hear. That healing oil was miraculous."

"Yes. Sorry again, I used it all."

He shrugged. "You were the one to get it in the first place. So, what did you want to see me about?"

"Now that Eren's better, I believe it's about time I think of leaving. Honestly, the only reason I stayed over the past week was to see him back to health."

"So? How do I fit into that?"

"Something's been bothering me these last days. I've been thinking about it and..."

"What?"

"Emese was your leader, you healer. Yet you didn't hesitate in throwing me your spear."

"I saw what you were doing, trying to stop her..."

Sonja shook her head. "No. That doesn't explain it. In fact, I've been wondering if you knew she might try pulling something like that." Sonja said, halting her stride.

"I… It's complicated. You didn't know her before. You didn't even spend much time with her, or the rest of the people after you arrived. You were either out on a mission, or in your tent..."

"That's fair enough. Go on then, what did I miss?"

"She'd been burying herself in those old books. Acting strange, neglecting her work as a healer. I honestly had no idea she'd try anything like that, but when she disappeared without notice, then just showed up down there, I knew it couldn't be good. All the stories about how the cult started and all that… You know. Plus..."

"Plus what?"

"Well, there's the books. I mean, think about it. Why would they be written in the first place? Why did they seem so guarded and valued?"

"In my experience, that's what you get with Gods. They're really into telling their stories. Have everyone know of their glory. It's not that strange."

"Maybe, but the texts taught us much about how to fight the same being. Seems needlessly self-defeating. An aggrandizing holy text could just be scribbled anywhere. Unless, these texts held some other purpose."

"Such as?"

"Maybe there was always something to the idea of converting those who read. It's just a thought, but it crossed my mind, with the fact that this cult has inexplicably come and gone over the ages. Maybe it tempts, or corrupts people into restarting the operation. That burned up man we met down there claimed to be the one behind it, but what if he couldn't, for some reason? How would someone take his place? There has to be some sort of alternative for rekindling the cult."

"Might well be. I wouldn't be surprised if you found more texts hidden around."

"I don't think it matters anymore."

"I see." Sonja said, resuming her walk. "So this is it then? You think it's all over for good?"

"I have to believe it is. Reports that all enemy villagers and monsters just dropped dead when that thing down there turned to stone prove truer by the day. We're still finding corpses around the forest."

"I suggest you order all the books we retrieved to be burned. Just to be safe."

"Already done it."

"Hum. Since you mentioned it… You think the scarred man was..."

"He got burned up when the townsfolk expelled the cult a couple generations ago? Yeah, that's what got me thinking. That maybe he couldn't restart the faith looking like that. Maybe Eren was supposed to replace him."

"Hard to say. Eren may have sprang from this otherworldly entity, but he was never part of it."

"Is that why his blood killed it?"

"I think so. The way Emese spoke of the texts, it's like it's part of the deal for a God to enter the material plane, is that the plane will periodically spit out something to fight it."

"Like a body fighting a disease."

"I think so."

"His parents. You think his mother… His father was..."

"Let's not go there."

"Oh. Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"What of the valley now? I mean, you people here?"

Kemp sighed. "We lost almost everything, but the place is ours again. I suppose we'll go on to remake the road over the entrance, see what happens from there."

"Well then. My work here is done. I think I'll be taking my leave tomorrow morning."

"And Eren? He's very attached to you."

Sonja looked back at the Mayor's house. The boy had stepped outside, being greeted by men and women alike, almost as if he was a local celebrity. "I was worried he might not be accepted after this ordeal was over, given his looks and background. But it seems like I worried for nothing. He'll be alright." She smiled.

…

*********

After leaving the village in the afternoon, Sonja rode down through the valley, reaching the swamp, as night began to fall. Thinking it best to avoid long goodbyes, she only ever announced her intent to leave a short while before going through with it. After a long, slow-paced ride, she stopped, taking measures to set up camp before it was too dark to see. 

Sonja lit a fire, preparing her meal for the night, glad to hear noises lurking about her as she did. "I know you're there. Come out."

"How?" Eren stepped from behind some bushes, walking towards the little camp, confused.

"You took my saying goodbye a little too well. I knew you'd try something like this."

"You did?"

"As always, you never disappoint. Come! I was waiting for you. I want us to make together the last memory I'll have of this place!" Sonja rubbed the boy's crotch. "We have all night, and nobody can hear me scream out here. Let's make it epic!"

"Alright!" Eren smiled.

"Ah! There it is!" Sonja pulled the young man's hard member from his pants, kissing the glans, before letting go so she could stand. "Get undressed, while I spread the pelts on the floor." She went on to prepare the bed, then dropped her cloak, adding to it. Grinning, she removed the remainder of her garments, with the exception of her boots. Her honed physique and bountiful curves sheening by the dancing light of the fire. Proud of her body, she paced around the flames extending a hand towards the pale boy. "Come here!" She beckoned.

When Eren approached, the woman kneeled, hugging him, kissing him as he stood, looming over her, pressing his erection against her belly.

"Mm..." Sonja licked her lips, leaning and looking down, she spit on her chest before laying on her back, pulling the boy by his cock, to sit atop her, his member caught between her breasts! Trapping his enormous, dark-red glans between her lips, she began to stimulate him with her tongue, pushing her teats together with both hands, moving them up and down rubbing his uneven shaft! In a few minutes, he exploded inside her mouth! "Mmm, yeah! You better have much more of that!" She said, swallowing.

Shifting to a side, Sonja opened her muscular legs, spreading herself. Without the need of another hint, Eren spun and went down on her, while she remained firmly gripping at his cock with both hands, vigorously sucking on it, while he pleasured her with fingers and tongue!

Measuring her ministrations by the way he twitched in her mouth, Sonja made it so his next ejaculation happened precisely at the time when he made her reach orgasm! The both of them twitching and squirming on the ground, together engulfed in passionate climactic pleasure!

Finally letting go of him, the redhead went to her knees, only to be quickly hugged from behind! Eren grabbed at her breasts pinching the nipples, the tip of his cock poking from between her legs, in and out, as he rocked back and forth, brushing her vaginal lips with the bumpy surface of his shaft!

"Ohh!" Sonja moaned, leaning forward to rest on her elbows!

Once more, no hint was required! Eren grabbed the warrior-woman's firm buttocks, spreading them, whilst positioning his cock's tip to press against her welcoming, wet entrance! A second later, he slammed himself fully inside her!

Sonja screamed and moaned unrestrained, almost as if trying to make the entire valley hear her declaration of pleasure! Through their many times together, Eren had evolved in both skill and stamina as a lover, all under her careful tutelage. He fucked her with rare expertise and steady pace, ejaculating inside her, just as she squeezed him when reaching climax in tandem once again. "Ah… Ah… Damn, that felt good!" She said, gasping for air, leaning on her side, while the boy sat on his knees.

Greedily, Eren grabbed the woman's thigh, raising it up and hugging it tightly pressed to his body, spinning her to a side. With his torso firmly clinching to her leg, he began to swing his hips back and forth, with speed and strength, over the entire span of his member's length! With each thrust, he penetrated her deeply, ramming her cervix, spreading her lips, making her scream his name over and over in between moans!

Once more, the pale boy forced Red Sonja to experience orgasm! She twitched on the floor, like a fish out of water, while he kept up with a non-stop rhythm! Only when her vaginal spasms subsided, did he slow his pace, eventually stopping for a moment, with himself completely buried into her warm depths.

Eren let go of the woman's leg, so she could lie on her back, prompting him to lean forward and lay atop her. She wrapped her limbs around him, grabbing at the back of his head with a hand and his buttocks with the other. For many minutes, they kissed deeply; Each of their tongues aiming to trade places with the other! Eventually, involuntarily, their hips took on a life of their own; his beginning to thrust again, softly, and hers swaying in circular motions energetically, a combination of lubricants and cum frothing between them.

In that new position, the couple resumed their activity, less frantically, but no less passionately. For a while they remained like that, panting, moaning, screaming, covered in sweat despite the cold weather. The boy's light blue skin contrasting with the woman's bronze tan, his black hair with her red. Together, they accelerated and paused at the right times, making sure that the next climax was also achieved in tandem. By the second, they inched closer, always together, pushing and pulling one another towards that next peak! Sonja could feel him twitching inside her, just like Eren could feel her clasping around him. Ever faster, ever more urgently! After a few minutes, He stabbed her insides with all of his strength, reaching the zenith of pleasure, spilling his seed! At the same time she began to shake, tightening her legs around him, squirting excess lubricant fluids oven the pelts they lay on! He gritted his teeth, while she howled and scratched his back like an animal!

"That… Was… Amazing!" Sonja spoke through heavy breathing, her chest heaving under the boy.

"Yeah..." Eren agreed, massaging her breasts.

"There's some water over there. Let's rest for a few minutes and go at it again! However many times it takes, I want the shape of your cock branded in me!"

The boy's expression brightened up. "Yes, ma'am!"

…

*********

Sonja woke when the light of the sun hit her face. She still held to the boy, who remained asleep, they both naked under a thick quilt. Supporting her torso by an elbow, she allowed her breasts to feel the cold air, soothing her sore nipples. Fondly, she looked down at Eren, brushing that black hair away from his fair, bluish visage, caressing his forehead. It was still hard to believe someone with such fine features could possess such large and distorted endowment, or such stamina and skill when putting it to use. At first glance, she might have mistaken him for some manner of Fey, yet Cambion was the word Emese had used to describe him. Perhaps the old woman had been right.

"Wh..." Eren mumbled, waking.

"Good morning." Sonja said, smiling at him. "Last night was perfect! Just what I needed."

"Does it mean you'll stay?"

"No." She chuckled. "Believe me, it's tempting, but I can't."

"Can I go with you then?" Eren asked, hopefully.

"No. Believe me when I say it's hard to say that. But my life is dangerous and uncertain. Yours, on the other hand, has been stolen from you thus far. It would be selfish of me to keep you from it. It's time you get to live it properly, and that's something I can't offer you."

"But..."

Sonja kissed the boy's forehead. "I wonder if you'll ever grow horns." She said, in jest.

"Is that why you won't stay?" He rubbed his head. "I'm..."

"No. You're perfect." She giggled. "Besides, it wouldn't look bad on you. I was just playing though. Listen to me, please. Don't make this harder than it has to be. Go live a normal life and be happy, for a change. Right now we both want to be together, but we have to concede it's not right for either of us; not right now, at least. Besides, who knows? Maybe we'll meet again, sometime soon."

Eren beamed at the redhead, holding back tears. "Really?"

"Stranger things have happened. Now let's have a nice breakfast together, before I go."

"Hum, could we also..."

"Sigh... You know I can't say no to that." Red Sonja smiled.

...

*********

A couple of hours after saying the final goodbye, on the ride out of the valley, Sonja realized, much to her amusement, that she was forced to place most of her body weight onto the stirrups, as to make herself stand over the saddle, and avoid discomfort. "Ah! I'll be damned! The little bastard actually made me sore. By the Gods, I miss that fat, lumpy cock inside me already. These next few nights alone will be hell to get through." She mumbled, shaking her head.

It had truly been a test of Red Sonja's mettle to leave the valley, just as much as it was to leave Eren behind. Investing in a homestead was not for her though; not then, at least. And having the boy come along would assure not much would ever get done, considering what they were likely to be doing together most of the time. Moreover, an implication contained in Emese's warning rang true. Had the affair gone on further, the boy was likely to get her with child, sooner rather than later.

Sonja looked back, remembering things she'd considered at the very beginning of this journey. "Maybe revisiting this place, once it's fixed up, might not be a bad idea after all." The she-devil with a sword smiled.

RED SONJA - "THE SAP OF GOD"

THE END.


End file.
